Still Doll
by Emmylia
Summary: Arcadia Prince has a lot of secrets. Some she can answer, others that she can't. But she's determined to find them out. And she figures even if she doesn't, life can only get better, especially with Harry Potter and Sirius Black looking out for you...
1. Doll Eyes

**~Still Doll~**

**All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. **

**Like usual this came out of the air. ^^ So I hope you like it and hopefully this one wont go down the gutter like some others. **

* * *

**Chapter One: Doll Eyes**

Sirius Black, notorious Azkaban escapee, looked down at the little figure laying in the muddy earth. It was a little girl and although she had her eyes open she didn't move or utter a single sound as he approached her.

Squatting down, Sirius looked into the girl's eyes and frowned. Waving a hand in front of the eyes, he jumped a little when they blinked. They were obsidian and looked like doll eyes. Glassy and unseeing.

"What're you doing out here? It's raining." Sirius asked her gruffly. The girl simply continued to stare off into space. "Is your house close by?" Silence. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The girl took in a deep breath and then shut her eyes. "Everything hurts." She said at last, pushing herself up and looking up at Sirius. The more she looked at him, the more he had to wonder if she'd been attacked by Dementors.

Looking around, Sirius cursed, feeling the chill even from this hidden little spot amongst the trees in the garden of a Muggles home. He was cutting it very fine indeed, coming out of dog form to speak to the girl. But he couldn't very well leave a helpless girl to catch cold in the rain could he?

"Why?"

The doll eyes focused on him again. "Because I came this far...and I'm too tired to go much farther." They shifted away then. "So close..."

"Close to what?"

"Being free." She whispered. "Mother let slip once...that I have family in England. I want to find them...anywhere is better than home... So I ran..."

Sirius frowned at the girl. "Where did you run away from?"

"Home. In Austria." Sirius blinked. "Where am I now?" She asked.

"In England, a place called Little Whinging." Sirius replied. The girl let out a soft triumphant "Ha!" before groaning. "How did you get here?"

The doll eyes focused on him once more. "I don't know. One minute I was running. The next, I turned, and there was this feeling...like being squeezed through a tube..."

Sirius watched the girl a few seconds before frowning. "You Apparated?" He asked, wondering how this tiny child had managed that.

"Is that what I did?" She replied, her gaze fixing on a spot on his knee. "Hmm...so tired." She murmured and the doll eyes shut. Sirius sighed, standing up and debating with himself for a moment before nodding and picking the girl up.

"So what's your name?" He asked but the girl's eyes remained shut and a few seconds later she let out a soft sleepy sigh. Sirius shook his head, grimacing at all the rain before moving them out of the garden and into the dark and empty street. He kept to the shadows and finally found an empty home. It was easy to pick the lock and Sirius thanked his luck that there was no alarm system.

Setting the girl down on a couch, he wondered what he'd do with her once she woke up. From the sound of things, she didn't have a very happy home life.

Looking her over, he noted a scar on the back of her hand in the shape of an X. She looked horribly pale and her stomach let out a gurgle every now and then that Sirius knew meant she hadn't eaten in a day or two.

Whatever she was running from, it must have been horrible.

"We'll figure something out doll." He told her, smirking as she sighed in her sleep once more.

* * *

"There is someone important here?"

Sirius looked over at the girl as they ate breakfast. The owners seemed to be on vacation, if the circled date on the calender and the pile of mail on the floor by the door was any indication. The calender said they would be home in a day or two, which worked out perfectly in Sirius's mind. He figured he could stick by the girl's side for a while, after he finished his important mission of course.

He'd been muttering he realized when she voiced her question and smirked. The girl ate like a doll too, Sirius thought, snorting at his fanciful thought a second later. Everyone knew dolls didn't eat. But if they did, they would probably do it like the girl did. She had her head tilted to the side, and her movements were quick and jerky, as if someone were pulling strings to get her to move. Her glassy eyes had been staring at the same spot on the wall for the past ten minutes.

"Yeah. Someone I have to see. Who can't know it." He added. The girl blinked and tilted her head to the other side before her eyes met Sirius's.

"You're Sirius Black." She said suddenly and Sirius tensed before the glassy eyes were moved back to the spot on the wall. "I heard Mother and Them talking about you a few days ago. I saw your picture on the paper."

"You're not scared?" Sirius asked her after a minute of her being silent. She shook her head once to each side before dropping her head down to look at her scarred hand.

"Mother...was Dark." The girl said softly while running her left fingers over the mark. "I've seen...Dark Things..." She looked up at him then. "You're harmless compared to Those Things."

Sirius frowned as she returned to her meal. Well it looked like he'd been right. If her mother had been a Dark Witch, and the girl said she'd seen Dark Things, then no wonder she'd run away from it.

"Where's your wand and things?" Sirius asked her then and the girl turned her eyes back to him.

"Mother didn't ever get me a wand. Or let me go to school." She replied, picking up her tea and taking a few sips. "She didn't care about me. Only about what I was useful for."

"What did she think you were useful for?"

"Cooking. Cleaning. Washing things. Fixing up the house." The girl's hands curled into loose fists. "Fresh blood for her experiments."

Sirius felt himself gag a little as he looked back at the scar on the back of her right hand. Then he noticed her left hand also bore another X shaped scar. He hadn't noticed it before because it wasn't as vivid red as the other.

"Where should I go?" She asked in a lost tone that had Sirius looking at her again. "Mother said I had family...but I don't know where to look."

Sirius had been wondering that himself. Where could he lead her to? Someone would be bound to see her and call the police or something and then where would she land?

It was as they were washing the dishes that Sirius heard a tapping on the window and turned, eyes widening when he found an owl staring back at him.

"Should I open it?" The girl asked. Sirius nodded and the owl swooped in, landing on the table. The girl untied the letter on its leg and the owl took some drinks out of the cup of juice before taking off again. "It's for me." The girl said then, sounding utterly mystified. Sirius looked over then and smirked.

"That's a Hogwarts letter." Sirius told her, none too worried. It wasn't too much of a stretch to think that there was some magical something that kept tabs on magical children in England. People moved all the time after all. Whatever spell was cast to detect magical children in the country must have just believed the girl moved here. He finished with their breakfast dishes and went out of the room, heading into a bedroom upstairs and finding clean clothes. They were a bit tight but he felt better getting the grime off him.

When he returned an hour later it was to find the girl in the sitting room, her letter, spread out on the coffee table. Sirius plopped down on the couch and flicked on the Muggle telly. "You have on extra paper there." He noted, seeing the acceptance letter and supply list plus something extra.

"Yes. It's from the headmaster." She said, handing it to him then turning her attention back to the supply list.

_Dear Miss Prince, _

_When you arrive at Hogwarts I wish you to report directly to Professor McGonagall, who will be waiting in the entrance hall for you. We will need to discuss your sudden appearance, and arrange for your care during the summer holidays. _

_Do not fret, I have no intention of causing you anymore stress than what you have already experienced. We merely wish to aid you in any and all ways possible. _

_Tonight I ask that you go out into the street and throw out your right hand. A bus will appear called The Knight Bus and you will ask the conductor to take you to the Leaky Cauldron. I have already owled ahead and have told Tom the barman to await your arrival. At Gringotts Bank the goblins will be ready to give you some money from the Student Fund. _

_If you need any assistance in the shops, you need only tell them you're a Hogwarts student and they will be happy to help. _

_We await your arrival. _

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore _

"Prince?" Sirius asked then. She nodded.

"Arcadia Prince." She replied and then blinked. "How did he know I was here?"

"Well I always wondered if Dumbledore was a bit of a Seer." Sirius murmured, handing the letter back and watching Arcadia Prince read it over before looking down at the other things.

"Where do I buy all these things?" She asked.

"In Diagon Alley. The Leaky Cauldron's a wizards pub. It connects to the alley. Ask Tom and he'll point you out in the right direction." Sirius told her, feeling comfortable now that Arcadia Prince would be taken care of. "I'll stay with you until the Knight Bus comes." He added while flipping through the channels. She nodded, folding up her letter and then wrinkling her nose as she took note of her dirty clothes.

"There's a boy's room upstairs. Go dig around for some of his things and get washed up." Sirius told her. She frowned. "I'll wash your things while you shower. Just leave them outside the bathroom door." He added and she nodded before getting up and doing as he said.

* * *

The air was cool that night, and Sirius savored the feeling of the wind ruffling his fur. He felt good with his stomach full as he led Arcadia to Privet Drive. He'd told Arcadia he wanted to see someone important before he took her to get the bus. She'd agreed quietly, following him and then staying in the shadows in her freshly washed clothes.

They had just gotten there when they saw the door open and watched a teenage boy storm out.

"Is that him?" Arcadia asked softly while looking down. Sirius nodded and began to follow after him, Arcadia at his side.

Arcadia was swaying by the time the boy stopped and she promptly fell to the ground the moment they stopped walking. Sirius gave a short bark of despair. If she'd fainted what was he going to do?

"Lumos." He heard and cursed mentally as he felt the light of the wand on him. He heard a sharp gasp then and he turned to face the boy with the wand before barking at him menacingly and taking a step towards the girl.

There was an echoing bang then just as Harry dashed forward. Sirius ran off into some bushes across the road, once again thanking his luck as the boy kneeled beside Arcadia and a large triple decker bus appeared.

* * *

Even before Hogwarts, Harry Potter had come to understand that sometimes bad things happened for no real reason. Also, he usually ended up getting sucked into the bad things whether he wanted it or not.

He'd come to this understanding but that still didn't mean that he liked it.

Like he didn't have to like that Uncle Vernon could yell at him, shout and rave whenever he pleased. Or that Aunt Marge could insult his mother and father without being punished for it.

He didn't like it one bit. Which was why he'd snapped.

Now there was a big question in his head as he puffed his way up the streets, trunk rolling along behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm.

What exactly was he going to do? He'd broken the law, done big magic-not on purpose but still-and had run away from home. Hermione and Ron were away with their families and he didn't have Muggle money or anyone else to turn to.

If only he could get to London...he'd be able to get money from Gringotts and stay in Diagon Alley, at least for a bit before doing something else.

Well if he was already in trouble then he could just fly there couldn't he? Yeah, why not?

Mind made up he stopped and began to look through his trunk. He stopped however when he heard a bark and something hitting the pavement. Turning around he saw nothing but he had a feeling like he was being watched wash over him and so he whipped out his wand. "Lumos." He called and his light blinded him for a second before he directed it at the alleyway and found himself staring at a huge black dog standing close to a small huddle figure on the ground. The dog snarled at him and moved closer and Harry's eyes widened at the size of its teeth. He ran forward and the dog jumped back and then dashed past him. Harry heard a bang then as he kneeled by the figure.

The girl groaned and looked up at him, blinking, staring from his wand to his face and back. Harry felt a moment of panic before she sighed. "You're a wizard...thank goodness." Then she looked over her shoulder. "There's the bus I suppose."

Harry turned and gaped at the triple decker Knight Bus. Helping the girl up, he took her over to where he'd left his trunk just as a conductor in a purple outfit came out of the bus.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizards. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name's Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor this eve-" The man stopped as he finally seemed to notice the two teenagers. Harry was supporting the girl's weight until the man stopped speaking and then she pushed herself up, wobbling slightly but remaining upright.

"Choo doin'?" Stan asked as his eyes travelled over the swaying girl and then at Harry with his trunk open. Harry scowled then.

"Er, there was something in the alley." Harry said as he looked around the bus into the bushes. "A dog. It was going to attack her." Harry motioned to the girl then who finally looked up at him.

"I tripped. It frightened me." She said then, looking up at the older boy before returning her eyes to Harry. Harry noted how glassy they were, as if she weren't really seeing him. "I was coming here to summon the Knight Bus. I need to get to Diagon Alley." She said to Stan then. She dug around in her cloak pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment. Stan took it and read it over then nodded. "Alright then. Wha' bout you?" Stan asked Harry who flattened his fringe when he noted Stan's eyes moving up to his forehead.

"I need to get to Diagon Alley too." Harry replied. "How much will it take?"

"Eleven Sickles." Stan replied as Harry rummaged around for his money before he closed his trunk and stuck his wand in his pocket. He handed the money to Stan. "'Ere now, you and the miss get up on the bus. I'll get that." He said and moved to get Harry's trunk. Harry let the girl get on and followed her.

There were beds instead of seats Harry saw with amusement. The girl was standing leaning against one of the bedposts looking about to pass out. "You alright?" Harry asked her as Stan led the way to the front of the bus. She followed them along, keeping her hands on the bedposts as much as possible.

"Mmn...I'm tired. I did too much the other day. I haven't recovered my strength." She murmured.

"You 'ave this one then." Stan said as he shoved Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver. "An' you can 'ave this one." Stan said pointing to the bed next to Harry's. The girl promptly collapsed onto it.

"Take 'er away Ern." Stan said then, bracing himself as the Knight Bus jerked away with a bang. Harry took a few moments to marvel at the speed and to appreciate the softness of the beds before his eyes fell on the girl.

"You sure you're fine?" Harry asked, turning to find the girl laying on her side, her glassy eyes staring at the floor. They flickered up and the girl's lips twitched into a smile.

"Yes. Just tired. I...travelled a lot yesterday." And she smirked.

"What's your name?" He asked her, taking note that Stan was listening to them and pretending not to.

"Arcadia Prince." The girl replied. "And you?"

"Er...Neville Longbottom." Harry said, not wanting to get goggled at by Stan. "What do you need to go to Diagon Alley for?"

"I...just moved here. I need to get some supplies for school. I'll be starting at Hogwarts." Harry smiled.

"What year?" He asked her and she frowned for a moment before saying, "Third." Harry puzzled at that but let it go.

"Same as me then." Harry told her and the girl smiled again.

"It's nice to meet you then Neville Longbottom." She said, sititng up and holding out her hand. The bus lurched then and she toppled forward, landing half on top of Harry who blushed. The girl pulled away, blushing as well. Then she blinked and gave a little laugh. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Harry promised as he helped her sit up. Arcadia nodded then shut her eyes and leaned against his headboard, sighing. Harry worried for a second but then let her be. If she said she needed to rest then he'd let her. He turned and found Stand hastily covering his face with a newspaper. He was about to frown until he saw the picture of a man on the front page of the Prophet. "That man! He was on the Muggle news!"

"Course he was Neville, where you been?" Stan replied, smiling at Harry's blank look before handing him the paper. "You ought to read more Neville."

"It's Sirius Black." Arcadia said suddenly making Harry jump as she leaned in a little to read the article with him. He didn't mind so much.

When they finished the article Harry was stunned. Thirteen people with one curse. The man was dangerous. And on the loose. Wonderful.

Arcadia had shut her eyes and was looking like she was asleep but Harry didn't assume she was. He wondered what she thought about it all. Harry and Stan spoke some more about Black and then suddenly they were pulling to a stop right outside the Leaky Cauldron.

"Arcadia, we're here." Harry said, turning and finding her getting up with a sigh. She tripped a little and ended up leaning against him. He gave her a friendly smile when she blushed again and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry. I'm not usually so much of a burden." Arcadia said as Harry helped her down the steps. Something in her tone made Harry pause and he turned to her with a serious frown on his face.

"You're not being a burden. It's not your fault if you're tired." Harry told her sternly. He'd recognized her tone. It was the same tone he'd used when he was much younger and the Dursleys were shouting and Harry was certain that if he sounded sorry enough they'd forgive him. Just this once they'd forgive him if only he could make himself sound as sorry as he felt-

"Well thanks. I'll make sure she gets there safe." Harry said, turning to look at Stan as he continued to hold up the girl.

"There you are Harry." A voice said and Harry tensed up. Arcadia turned to look at him just as Stan called to Ernie. A hand came down on his shoulder and Harry turned to look at who it was.

It turned out to be Cornelius Fudge, the Minsiter of Magic.

Crap.

"What didja call Neville Minsiter?" Stan asked excitedly. Fudge looked confused.

"Neville?" He turned to Harry who gave a little jerk of his head. "This is Harry Potter." Stan burst into excited babbles then which Harry ignored.

"Oh and who is this?" Fudge asked as he took note of Arcadia who was looking up at him with her glassy eyes. Harry noted Fudge looked away with a nervous twitch and wondered why. She was only staring at him. Though he had to admit, her eyes were a little weird. Kinda like the eyes of the china doll Aunt Petunia kept in a cabinet in the sitting room. Glassy and unseeing...

"Arcadia Prince Minister." Another voice said and Harry recognized it as Tom the owner of the Leaky Cauldron. "Are you hurt?" Tom asked the girl who shook her head.

"I'm afraid I've been a bother to Mr. Potter tonight though. I'm just tired." Arcadia said as she looked at Harry who waited for her eyes to flick up to his forehead. But they didn't, instead they merely met his own green gaze before she gave a little smile. He realxed.

"You weren't a bother." He told her.

"Yes well, Miss Prince seemed to be in need of rest and we have much to discuss young Harry." Fudge said, putting pressure on Harry's shoulder to get him to turn around. "Tom will see to the girl."

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to do so." Tom said with a nod. Harry and Fudge both blinked at that.

"Did he now?" Fudge said, turning to look at the girl who was looking back with a half-smile on her face. "Perhaps she should accompany us after all then." The half-smile vanished and the girl sighed, resigned. Fudge led them inside and Tom took them to a parlor where Tom made a fire start and bowed out of the room. Harry helped Arcadia sit down and she gave him a surprised look. He smiled before turning to face the Minister.

"Sit down Harry." Fudge ordered and Harry did so. "I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic." Harry already knew this of course, having seen Fudge the year before from under his Invisibility Cloak, but Fudge didn't need to know that. "You've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your relative's house like that! I'd started to think...but you're safe and that's what matters."

Fudge pushed a plate of crumpets towards Harry then. "Eat Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then, you will be pleased to hear that we dealt with the unfortunate blowing up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley's been punctured and her memory was modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, no harm done."

Harry gaped at Fudge, blinking a few times. "What about my punishment?" He asked when Fudge just continued to smile at him. "I broke the law! The Decress for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!"

Fudge chuckled then. "Oh my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" Fudge promised with a laugh. "It was an acciedent. We don't send people to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts!"

Harry seriously doubted that, considering what he knew about the Ministry.

"Now, Tom said you were expected by Dumbledore?" Fudge asked turning to Arcadia. Harry turned to her as well and found her leaning against her armrest, breathing evenly.

"I think she's asleep sir." Harry told him. Fudge let a frown cross his face before smiling.

"She did say she was tired. Well I'll ask Dumbledore about her tomorrow. Now then Harry, I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky. Just one thing however...it would be best if you didn't stray into Muggle London. Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand, Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."

Harry nodded a bit dazed. He wasn't getting punished, he got to spend the next two weeks by himself away from the Dursleys and everything was just neatly falling into place.

"Now I shall say goodbye. Enjoy your stay." Fudge said as he took one look at Arcadia who remained sleeping. Harry shook his hand and let the man leave, more focused on the girl. A second after the door clicked shut she opened her eyes. Harry chuckled.

"I figured you were faking it." Harry told her. She smirked at him. He looked away then. "Er...about lying about who I was-"

"You don't have to explain Mr. Potter. I would have lied too. That Stan guy was just a tad too...much." Arcadia replied with a soft laugh. Harry laughed too then frowned.

"Call me Harry."

"Only if you call me Arcadia."

"I can do that." Harry told her, smiling when she smiled. "So it looks like we'll be spending these next two weeks here."

"Sure does." Arcadia said kindly. "I've never been to this Diagon Alley before. Would you be kind enough to show me around?" Arcadia asked him as the door opened and Tom entered, looking surprised to see Arcadia awake.

"Of course." Harry replied, helping Arcadia up from her seat. He kept a strong grip on her arm as Tom led them upstairs and to the rooms.

"Number Eleven for you Mr. Potter." Tom said but stopped in front of number ten. "And Number Ten for Miss Prince."

Arcadia moved to go in but Harry followed her and stopped when Arcadia stopped at the sight of some packages wrapped in brown paper.

"Those aren't mine." She murmured. Tom clicked his tongue.

"Professor Dumbledore sent them along today. He said you'd be needing them." Tom replied and Arcadia relaxed. Harry helped her move them off the bed.

"Thank you for everything tonight Harry." Arcadia said.

Harry nodded. "I'll see you in the morning then." He promised and left the girl to her rest.

Tom took him to his own room, where Hedwig waited and after the landlord left he collapsed into bed.

"It's been a very weird night, Hedwig." Harry told his faithful companion before falling off to sleep.

* * *

Inside the packages were some clothes. Arcadia blinked. A few tops and bottoms, and a note in one said they were spelled to fit her perfectly as soon as she put them on. The note futher explained she would be given a bit extra from the student fund to supply more clothes and shoes.

There was a white nightgown in one and Arcadia slipped it on, feeling a little tingle as it shifted into the right size. She smiled and then climbed into bed, only to see a bit of parchment on the bedside table. Picking it up she saw it was another note.

_Miss Arcadia Prince has full permission to use the Black vault, number 213 for any occasion that she sees fit, withdrawing any amount of sums she deems necessary. _

There was a spot on the parchment that looked like blood.

Arcadia blinked at the words. She knew who had written it and she hugged it to her chest for a moment before carefully folding it up again and setting it on the table. Slipping into bed she settled into the pillows and breathed a deep sigh.

"I'm free." She murmured to the quiet night before falling asleep in bliss.

* * *

_**And that's chapter one of Still Doll. I hope you like it. ^^ . **_


	2. Diagon Alley

**~Still Doll~**

**All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. **

* * *

**Chapter Two: Diagon Alley**

Arcadia woke up to find herself facing a tray of fluffy waffles piled high with whipped cream and strawberries. A cup of hot chocolate was off to the side and a plate of bacon was next to her waffles.

She leapt out of bed and went over to the small table, taking a moment to appreciate the smells and the single little rosebud in the glass vase before sitting down and wolfing it up. She felt a little lethargic still but the sight of food was enough to animate her at the moment.

Looking around she saw the clock on the mantlepiece read ten in the morning. Sun streamed in through her window and she felt as if everything were a dream, about to burst right before her eyes.

Once she'd finished her breakfast she made her way into the small bathroom, washing up and brushing her teeth with the brand new toothbrush. A brush was there and Arcadia paused when she saw it.

Her long black hair was a wild mass of tangles and she tried to remember when she'd last brushed it. Probably the day she ran away.

It took a few minutes to brush out the tangles, seeing as it hung down to her midback and was very thick. But it was tamed soon enough and tied into a simple braid.

She returned to her room and found a white blouse and a black skirt along with some stockings. Pulling these clothes on she turned to her shoes. They were a bit scuffed but the black loafers would suffice. Once she was dressed she headed to the door, opening it and blinking when she found Harry Potter standing there with his hand raised.

"Good morning." He said kindly and Arcadia smiled.

"Good morning."

"I was going to see if you were awake yet. How're you feeling?" He asked her. Arcadia thought for a moment before shrugging.

"I still feel a bit worn out but other than that I'm fine."

Harry grinned then, as if pleased. Perhaps he was, but Arcadia knew people who could fake feelings like that without much effort. Then again, Harry was around her age, so he couldn't really be that good of a faker, could he? "Well if you're feeling up to it, I was thinking we could explore the alley a bit and start buying our supplies."

Arcadia thought for a moment then nodded. "Okay but can you take me to Gringotts first? I think I'll feel more at ease when I get some money."

"Sure." Harry said and Arcadia stepped back into her room to grab her letters before stepping out and following Harry through the Cauldron and then out into the back alley. She was a bit stumped until Harry pulled out his wand.

"We should get your wand today at least." Harry said when he saw she didn't have one. "Once you have it, all you have to do to get into Diagon Alley is tap the third brick, here." He showed her and tapped it, then stood back as the archway began to appear.

Arcadia watched, fascinated, as the bricks moved and revealed a bustling and long street filled with wizards and witches, old and young, calling to each other, inspecting goods, peering into windows. Harry motioned with his head and Arcadia followed him, trying to look everywhere at once.

"So where did you move here from?" Harry asked her and Arcadia took a second to pause.

"Mother and I were living in Austria." Arcadia replied.

"That must have been nice. I've never lived anywhere beside Little Whinging." Harry replied, taking note of the way Arcadia's shoulders stiffened and how she avoided looking him in the eye. He knew those tells too. He had a feeling that Arcadia had suffered as much as he had with the Dursleys, if not more.

Arcadia relaxed a bit when Harry didn't press for any details and instead moved on. "So how old are you Arcadia?"

"Twelve. I'll be thirteen in December."

"I'm thirteen. My birthday was on the 31st." Harry replied.

"Mine's on the fifteenth." Arcadia said and stopped to inspect some bright pink flowers Harry didn't know the name of. "These smell wonderful." Arcadia murmured. Harry took only a second to check the price then paid the witch who was selling them two Knuts and grabbed up the flower Arcadia had been smelling. She blushed and so did Harry after a second but she took the flower nonetheless and breathed in the scent some more.

"Everything's so lively." Arcadia murmured as they continued on down the street.

"Yeah it's always like this. I like it. It's better than being stuck with the Dursleys." Harry let his anger color his words then. Arcadia looked at him, blinking her glassy black eyes at him. He gave a little sneer. "They're my aunt and uncle and cousin. I have to live with them cuz my parents died when I was a baby." He paused then. "But I'm sure you know that story."

"What story?" Arcadia asked him as she peered into the window of Flourish and Blotts. Harry had to take a second to process that before grinning.

"Er, sorry. I'm just so used to everyone knowing my life history by now." Harry gave a grin when Arcadia just stared at him blankly.

"Does that have anything to do with that scar?" Arcadia asked pointing at his forehead. He nodded. "I thought it bothered you, since you kept trying to hide it last night." Arcadia told him, moving away from the window. "I've been...mostly keep in the dark." Arcadia murmured then. "My mother...didn't really tell me much about life outside our house." And her eyes became lifeless. Harry had to inhale sharply at the sudden change. They were just so...empty.

She blinked and some light returned to them, making Harry relax. "So what is the story, if you don't mind me asking."

And so Harry gave her the basics of the story as he led her to Gringotts. By the time they were climbing the steps Arcadia was nodding.

"Mother told me the story of the Boy-Who-Lived but never by name." Arcadia's eyes went black again as she added. "She seemed more worried about that Voldemort than anything else." Harry paused, turning to Arcadia and grinning. "What?" She asked when he continued to grin.

"Most people can't say his name without flinching or something, which I think is stupid but..." he shrugged. Arcadia gave a shrug of her own.

"I never had a reason to be scared of him." Arcadia told him as she turned to read the inscription on the silver doors. Once she was done she whispered, "My mother...was a very bad witch after all." Harry saw her hands curl into fists then she shook her head and walked through the doors the goblins opened for them.

At the desk Arcadia looked around with her mouth in a slight 'o' at all the goblins. She'd never seen so many. Walking up to the counter Arcadia felt a bit of apprehension.

"Hello." She said when the goblin took notice of her. "Er...my name is Arcadia Prince and..." She frowned then dug her letters out of her pocket. She gave the one from Dumbledore to the goblin, who read it over quickly then nodded.

"Ah yes, Dumbledore said there'd be a girl coming for Student Funds." The goblin made to move but Arcadia shoved the smaller note onto the counter. The goblin picked it up and studied it with crafty eyes. It sniffed the blott of what Arcadia figured was blood a few times before peering at her curiously. "Hmm...well then would you like to visit this vault Miss Prince?" The goblin asked.

"Er...no. Not today." Arcadia said, grateful the goblin hadn't said the name of the owner of the vault. "I was just wondering if I could get into it."

"The vault's owner has given you permission, and this blood proves he is indeed the owner. If you so wish to, then yes you are able to take money from that vault as well." The goblin said and Arcadia smiled, taking back her parchments and folding them careful.

"I'll just take the Student Funds then." Arcadia said and the goblin turned to a desk behind the counter, picking up a small money pouch and handing it to her.

"I would suggest visiting your vault." The goblin said then. "Unless you want purely secondhand things."

Arcadia frowned, turning to Harry then who had been silent until then. "What should I do?" She asked him, weighing the pouch.

"Hrm...well if you have extra money then I would say fill your bag up." Harry told her. "That way you can get all your things new."

"I...well...alright." Arcadia said after a few minutes. The goblin waved over another goblin and soon they were being escorted through a door and to a cart. Arcadia eyed it with curiosity. The goblin snickered as it asked, "First time in one of these carts?"

"Yes." Arcadia replied, climbing in anyway and turning to Harry when he sat beside her. The cart took off and Arcadia let out a squeal as they flew through the cavernous space at top speed. She seemed to recieve a jolt of excitement from the ride if anything.

"Vault 213." The goblin stated when the cart had slowed. They climbed out and the goblin ran a finger over the door. A small silver plate, about an inch in size, appeared then. "Girl, place the blood on the plaque." The goblin instructed and Arcadia grabbed the note, angling it so that the blood stain was on the silver. It glowed a soft white light before a clicking sound came from the door and it melted away.

Walking inside, Harry had to gape. There was more gold in here than in his own vault.

"Exactly whose vault is this?" Harry asked as Arcadia looked around, examining a few artifacts on the shelves and in little alcoves.

"A friend's." Arcadia said before scooping up a few handfuls of gold, silver and bronze. Once her pouch was filled to bursting, they left the vault. The goblin stopped them before they climbed onto the cart though.

"It'd be easier for you to access the vault in the future if you get keyed into it." The goblin said.

"How do I do that?"

The goblin waved his hands over the door once more and this time a larger silver plaque appeared, with one dark line running across its length. The goblin muttered some words in a foreign language and the plaque began to glow as well. It then turned to Arcadia and held out a small pocket knife. "Now stick your finger nice and good and run a line under this one."

Harry was about to protest when Arcadia drove the small blade into her finger and only gave a flinch to show her discomfort. Then she ran her finger across the silver as instructed. The plaque gave off a soft chime sound before it stopped glowing and melted back into the door.

"Now every time you visit the vault, you need only place your finger on the smaller button." The goblin explained as he took his blade and tapped Arcadia's bleeding finger, which healed and cleared of blood.

"Thank you." Arcadia said as she and Harry returned to the cart.

Once back out in the sunshine of the alley Harry took a moment to adjust to the light then asked, "Do you want to get your wand now or explore a bit?"

"Let's get my wand." Arcadia told him. "And then I need to get some more clothes. I only have enough for tomorrow."

Harry wondered why then took a moment to remember he'd seen her with no trunk or backpack or anything other than the clothes on her back. He bit his lip, wanting to ask why but then seeing the way Arcadia had reacted before to his questions about her homelife, he decided now was not the time.

"Well there's a few clothes shop around the alley. Madame Malkins is where I get my robes from. But the only place to get a wand from here is Ollivander's. This way."

Harry led Arcadia through the thick crowd, pointing out the shops he frequented for his school supplies, until they reached the little building that was Ollivanders. Arcadia studied the outside for a few seconds before walking inside with Harry.

It was quiet as usual, with dust swirling in the sunbeams, and the towers of boxes on the first and second floors as Harry remembered.

Arcadia shivered at the tingle of magic that seemed to tickle her neck. She found herself breathing deeply and slowly as she studied the store.

"Ah Mr. Potter, to what do I owe the honor?"

Whirling around Arcadia found Harry shaking hands with an old wizard with pale eyes.

"My friend Arcadia came for her wand." Harry said and the old wizard turned to her. "Arcadia, this is Mr. Ollivander."

"A pleasure sir." Arcadia said, bobbing a little curtsy to the man. Ollivander gave a small bow as well.

"Arcadia?" He asked and she nodded.

"Arcadia Prince sir."

"That is a truly beautiful name." Ollivander said. Seeing the question in Harry's eyes he elaborated while walking towards Arcadia. "Arcadia, is a name for a place of peace and contentment. Whoever named you, must have found peace and contentment in your company." Ollivander directed at Arcadia who shut her eyes as a softness took her face.

"Mother always said Father was the one who named me." Arcadia turned her head away, but not before Harry saw her brow furrowing and her lip quivering. She looked back after a moment and her face was calm and smooth of any emotion other than tranquility.

Ollivander gave a nod of his head before clasping his hands together. "Well I usually see my customers at age eleven, but no matter. Whether it be eleven or twenty, there will always be a wand in my shop for someone." Ollivander took her measurements as he explained about his wands, the three cores-dragon heartstring, unicorn tail hair, and phoenix feather-and how no two wands were alike. Harry sat in the single chair available while Ollivander went off in search of some wands.

When he returned, the trial began. Arcadia took up each wand Ollivander handed her, puzzled when the old wizard would take them away, muttering to himself. Twenty minutes later she still had no wand and Ollivander had moved to the second floor.

"Is that normal?" Arcadia asked, pointing to the pile of discarded wands on Ollivanders counter. Harry chuckled.

"Well I don't know about normal but it took me an awfully long time to find the right one." Harry told her gently.

"How do you know it's right?"

"You'll feel it." Harry promised, smiling when she merely pouted.

Ollivander returned then and he had a look of great expectation on his face. "I have a certain good feeling about this one Miss Prince." Ollivander said. "Rowan and dragon heartstring, eleven inches, excellent for Defense, flexible but not fragile."

Arcadia took the wand from Ollivander and as soon as her fingers curled around it she knew she'd found the right one. Warmth and strength grew in her stomach and spread out to her fingertips and toes. She giggled and flicked it, making rainbow colored sparks burst from the tip.

"Marvelous!" Ollivander cried and he grinned at Arcadia who was still staring happily at her wand. "Excellent my dear, excellent." He took the wand gently from her and placed it in its box, wrapping it up in brown paper. Arcadia turned to Harry and he smiled when her saw how shiny her eyes were.

"My own wand! It felt wonderful Harry!" Arcadia said then. Harry grinned.

"It's a good feeling, isn't it?" He asked and Arcadia nodded.

"Like belonging." She said then turned away to rub at her face. Harry didn't mention it as she turned back and Ollivander didn't either as he told Arcadia the price and watched the girl fish out six Galleons and three Sickles.

"Thank you." Arcadia said as he led them to the door.

"You are very welcome Miss Prince." Ollivander told her, eyes sparkling with some sort of knowing. Arcadia smiled once more then followed Harry out the door.

They spent the rest of the day visiting the shops and Harry explaining as much as he knew about each place. When Arcadia asked about Knockturn Alley, Harry told her the story about his adventure there last year. Arcadia listened raptly and grinned when Harry spoke of his narrow escape.

That led to a discussion of the Malfoys, and then Hagrid, followed by Ron and the Weasleys, as well as Hermione. Talking of his friends got him into stories of their adventures at Hogwarts during their first two years.

By the time they returned to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner, Harry was just finishing the story of Riddle's memory and the basilisk fight.

"I thought I was a goner when I saw Fawkes crying." Harry murmured, not wanting to attract any more attention than he was already getting. "But then he tilted his head and cried on my wound and I remembered what Dumbledore had said about phoenix tears. After that Fawkes managed to carrying all of us out of the tunnel and back to Myrtle's bathroom."

"And whatever happened to that Lockhart?" Arcadia asked as Tom took away their plates and handed them both dessert.

"I don't know for sure." Harry told her, shrugging and digging into the ice cream sundae. He caught himself watching Arcadia eat. Her movements were calm and smooth. She didn't try to pile as much as she could on the spoon but ate daintily. "What about you? Anything exciting happen in your shcool?"

Arcadia paused and her eyes turned lifeless once more. Harry found he didn't like that. It meant bad things to him.

"I never went to school." She admitted at last, voice sounding lost in her memories. "Mother wouldn't hear of it."

Harry frowned. The more he'd heard about her Mother, the more he was sure that the woman was as bad, if not worse than the Dursleys. "You said she was a bad witch?" Harry asked, her words outside the bank returning to him. Arcadia's hands clenched and Harry's eyes were drawn to them. He gasped when he saw the bright red X on one hand and the white lines of another X on the other. "Arcadia?" He asked, moving his hands as if to touch the red X. Arcadia let her spoon hit the bowl and brought her hands to her chest, using her left hand to hide the vivid mark on the right.

"Mother is a bad witch Harry. Very bad. She hated me too. There was no love in her eyes when she looked at me. Only deep and burning hate." Arcadia gasped and sucked in a quick breath. "I ran away from her. She told me one night that I had family here. I don't think she thought I heard but I did and ever since then I had been planning on running." Arcadia's lips clamped shut then as Tom appeared again.

"Seconds?" Tom asked and Arcadia shook her head, turning her face away.

"I'm alright." She said and her voice sounded normal. "Thank you very much." She added, turning to smile faintly at the landlord. He gave a bow of his head, turning to Harry.

"I'm good too." Harry said, pushing his bowl away. Tom picked them up and went off, leaving them in silence.

Harry didn't need details as he led Arcadia upstairs to their rooms. When they reached her door he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tomorrow," he said softly, "I'll tell you a bit about the Dursleys." He promised and then turned away.

Arcadia turned and stared at him until he entered his own room.

As she readied for bed, Arcadia wondered at the boy that was Harry Potter. He knew next to nothing about her, but he was kind and generous. He didn't pry and when he'd spoken the name Dursleys, Arcadia had felt like he would understand how she felt about her Mother.

She felt she could tell him all the horrible things in her memories, the thoughts and images that haunted her nightmares, and he would not flinch from them. Because on some level he would understand them.

The way he spit out the name Dursleys was enough for her to believe that.

It was an odd feeling, having someone around who could understand. She'd never had that before. She'd never had much of anything before really.

She fell asleep that night, truly easy and peaceful for the first time in her living memory.

* * *

"So that's our robes done." Harry said as he led them through the crowd towards Fortescue's. "I didn't know Madame Malkin's sold Muggle clothes too."

"That was a very nice stroke of luck." Arcadia replied as they set their bags down and settled into a seat outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "I suppose its necessary though, for the wizards who don't want to go shopping in Muggle stores or who can't Transfigure their robes well."

Harry nodded and then smiled as Florean Fortescue came out with two sundaes. "How're you two today?" He asked them.

"Excellent." Arcadia replied. She'd gotten better over the past four days. She said having three solid meals a day and being allowed to sleep in peace were helping.

She still hadn't given many details about her home life, but then again Harry hadn't really told her much about the Dursleys. He understood that the wounds were too great to bear at times. He had many of his own, scarring over his heart. They'd spent the night before in Harry's room, simply talking about random things. Every now and then one or the other would let a little slip.

_One time, Aunt Marge's dog Ripper chased me up a tree and they all just stood out there, laughing for a long long time... _

_Mother once made me drink a potion that made me blind for a whole week. She just laughed whenever I tripped over something...and got angry when I broke something. _

_Dudley used to use me as a punching bag, and Aunt Petunia never said anything, even when he made my nose bleed. _

_Mother would punish me by taking away my meals and locking me in my room. _

_I used to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. _

_Before we lived in Austria, it was a house in Germany, and I had to sleep in a closet. _

They weren't huge revelations really. Not compared to all the years of things that they'd carried around. But it gave them something that bound them. A pain very few people could understand. But they understood it, and by that they began to understand each other.

"So we have our robes, and we got all our potions ingredients. And we've gotten you your cauldron and other things." Harry said then.

Arcadia nodded and fished out a chunk of cookie dough from her sundae. "Well we should get our books today then." Harry nodded with a grin. They finished their sundaes, thanks Fortescue, then went off to Flourish and Blotts.

"Oh my." Arcadia said as they approached the window and saw the cage filled with _The Monster Book of Monsters_. "Am I going to need that?" She asked, looking at her list. Harry had to laugh at the pout that came onto her face then. That pout, coupled with her glassy doll eyes, just made her resemble a porcelain doll in Harry's mind even more.

Going inside Arcadia marveled at all the books, a flare of delight crossing her obsidian gaze, while the manager came up to them.

"Hogwarts?" The manager asked roughly, jolting Arcadia out of her staring. "Come to get your new books?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "We need-"

"Out of the way." The managed said then and Arcadia turned to Harry with a frown.

"Are people so rude all the time?" She asked in a soft hush.

"Er, no." Harry told her as they watched the man prod at the cage. "We only need one of those." he called in a louder tone and the man gave a sort of relieved shudder as he made a grab for the nearest one, yanking it free and nearly tossing it at Harry. Arcadia grabbed it before Harry or the manager could warn her. To their surprise she held it steady while rubbing her hand up the spine. The book gave a little shudder and promptly ceased to move.

"How did you do that?" The managed asked mystified. Arcadia gave a cool smirk as she looked at the book.

"My Mother has this book. She told me how to make it tame." Harry had come to expect the lifeless eyes that accompanied any mention of Arcadia's mother but that didn't mean he liked it any.

"Well thank heavens! I'll get some of the others to help me calm them once we're done here. So what else can I get you?"

"We need _Unfogging the Future_ by Cassandra Vablatsky." Harry said looking down at his list.

"And we'll both need _Intermediate Transfiguration_ and _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three_." Arcadia added. "Plus I'll need erm..." She pulled out her list. "_Numerology and Gramatica_."

The manager went off to get them their things. It was as they were waiting for him to get Unfogging the Future that the saw the book on death omens...and more importantly the big black dog on the cover.

"Like the one in Little Whinging." Harry muttered to her as they followed the manager to the Arithmancy section to get Arcadia's book.

"Yeah." Harry whispered back.

Their books done and paid for, the teenagers went off in search of lunch.

"Why don't you get an owl Arcadia?" Harry asked as they settled outside Morgana's Magical Cuisine, and a waiter appeared, handing them menus then moving onto another table.

"Hmm...I don't know if I really need an owl." Arcadia replied. "I don't know anyone aside from you."

"And your friend with the vault." Harry reminded her and Arcadia lowered her menu to smile at Harry.

"You're right. There's him too." Harry didn't pry, although he would have liked to. Arcadia didn't seem ready to talk about that yet. "But still, I don't think I need one. Not yet anyway. Maybe next year."

Harry left it at that. "You could always get another pet though. That menagerie we passed sounded like it had all sorta of things."

Arcadia smiled softly then. "I always wanted a dog. I don't know if they'd let me take it to school though."

"Even though that big mutt was going to hurt you?" Harry wondered as the waiter came back to take their orders.

"He wasn't going to hurt me." Arcadia said calmly before telling the waiter what she wished for lunch. Harry just shrugged a bit and gave his order to the man as well.

"Well we can go to the menagerie later, we still got a week or so left till school starts. I want to go take another look at the Firebolt today." Harry said then. Arcadia laughed.

"I don't see the allure but then again I've never flown a broom before."

Harry gaped at the girl. "Never ever?" Arcadia shook her head. "Well that settles it. Soon as we get to Hogwarts, you're going to take a ride on my Nimbus."

"Really?" Arcadia asked, laughing happily as Harry nodded enthusiastically. "That'll be great!" Arcadia paused then. "Do you have Quidditch at Hogwarts? I used to listen to matches on the wireless when I was lucky and Mother was gone. They sounded so exciting."

"Yeah we do! And it is!" Harry said with a big grin. "I'm Gryffindor's Seeker." He added proudly. Arcadia's eyes lit up and she began to question him about the game as they ate in peace.

* * *

The weekend passed with the two simply talking. Harry explained about the Hogwarts Houses, their colors and symbols, their defining characteristics. He warned her about the feud between Gyrffindor and Slytherin and told her to avoid Draco Malfoy at all costs.

"But Harry, what if I get Sorted into Slytherin?" Arcadia asked on Monday morning as they made their way through the streets looking for something to do.

Harry slowed his steps and turned to Arcadia with a thoughtful pout on his face. "Well...I won't like it, cuz I don't trust those Slytherins any more than I can toss Hagrid fifty feet." He saw Arcadia clasp her hands to her chest, in a manner he was coming to learn as defensive. "But," he made sure to catch her gaze, "I'll still be your friend and make sure the Gryffindors leave you alone."

Arcadia breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a smile. Harry nodded and smiled back. He hoped that she wouldn't be Sorted into Slytherin of course but there was that possibility. He had almost been Sorted into Slytherin after all.

Still he would hold out hope, and if she did become one then so be it, he'd deal with it then.

"What are those?" Arcadia asked, pointing to a large copper pinwheel with odd crystals on the ends.

"No clue. Let's go look." Harry replied and walked over to the display, pushing aside his worries for the moment.

* * *

_**Wowie...two chapters in one night. I am pleased. Don't get used to it though. :P **_


	3. Friends and Enemies

**~Still Doll~**

**All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. **

* * *

**Chapter Three: Friends and Enemies**

On their last day in Diagon Alley, Harry was just resigning himself to not seeing Hermione and Ron until the next day on the train. He'd seen plenty of his other fellow Gryffindors and introduced them to Arcadia.

Arcadia was quiet for the most part during these meetings. Although the two weeks of solid meals and sunshine had done her much good, Harry figured it would take longer than that for her to relax and start healing from whatever horrors haunted her dreams.

They were there, Harry had woken the night before to the sound of screams and had followed them to Arcadia's room. He'd woken her up and she'd shuddered in her sleep.

_"The cat Harry...where is it?" _

_"What cat?" _

_"Mother was skinning it..." _

Harry shuddered at the memory himself, even as he saw Arcadia smiling and waving to the flower stand witch as they approached. He handed the witch the usual two Knuts and Arcadia chose the best looking flower. It had become a habit by now and Harry saw it made her smile unlike anything else so far.

"You really like flowers don't you?" Harry asked her as they headed towards the menagerie. Arcadia had been putting off getting a pet, until the night before when Harry had told her how he felt about Hedwig and what the owl meant to him.

"Mother had a garden." Arcadia said and her eyes became distant, which was better than the lifeless cold that would usually overtake them. "Full of...bad plants... But there were flowers too. I always wondered how the pretty flowers could grow with all those poisonous things around them." Arcadia explained, her eyes snapping back to the present as she looked up at Harry with a half-smile. He returned it, wondering how much Arcadia had hidden inside her that she wasn't ready to share yet. He did understand her reluctance to talk about it though.

It was the same as his reasons for not talking to Ron and Hermione about his own mistreatment at the hands of the Dursleys. He felt like those words would make him weak in their eyes. He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want pity or fear for him to fill his friends' eyes. He didn't want them to know the depths of his hurts and pains. In a weird way, Harry needed to keep those secret for a while longer. And considering how much he guessed Arcadia had suffered through, she too needed to have her secrets. When she was ready to speak about them, she would.

"You'll love Herbology then." Harry said as they paused to look at some weird fish in the window display of one shop. "Professor Sprout has dozens of plants, pretty and ugly ones, but I'm sure you can find something good about the ugly ones."

Arcadia laughed. "I learned a lot about plants actually. I had to, because of the ones in the gardens. It was one of the few things Mother taught me..." Arcadia took a shuddering breath and gave a slight shiver. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze before letting go. Arcadia didn't flinch, but she did move her hands so that the scars weren't visible. That was another of her reactions that Harry could understand. He gave her a solemn look before smiling.

"Well that ought to help in Herbology and Potions then." Harry said and Arcadia took in a sharp gasp. He looked over at her, brow furrowing as she clasped her hands to her chest.

"I...I learned about Potions too...but...only...the bad ones..." Arcadia whispered in soft jerky breaths. Harry put his hands on her shoulders and this time she did flinch a little. He waited until her breathing calmed again and she looked up at him with her doll eyes.

"We don't learn the bad ones in school." Harry said calmly. The same way he wished someone would talk to him when he was younger, and the Dursleys yelled and the other adults in his life spoke with no real emotion. "Hogwarts is not a bad place. We only learn the good things." He continued to say, squeezing her shoulders once more. Arcadia took another deep breath then nodded, her fingers running over her scars.

"So...so there won't be any bad things?" She asked in a little girl way while rubbing one scar that made Harry wonder for the thousandth time about the X's on her hands.

"No. No bad things. And if you're ever scared, you can tell me and I'll try to help you." Harry promised. Arcadia nodded and relaxed, blinking her glassy eyes before smiling somewhat.

"You're a very good person Harry. I...I haven't known a lot of good people. Or any really. Aside from you and my friend."

Harry pat her shoulder and started to lead the way back down the street. "Yeah well at Hogwarts you'll meet lots of good people. There are some mean people-"

Arcadia shook her head with a giggle. "Other kids don't scare me Harry. Only adults." Arcadia's eyes became lifeless now and Harry mentally sighed. "Adults...can be horrible..."

Harry nodded then. "Yeah. I know." Arcadia looked up at him then smiled more strongly.

"I know you do. That's why I'm not afraid to talk to you or tell you about Mother." Arcadia took his hand gently in her own, giving him enough time to pull away. He didn't, instead tightening his grip. Under his fingertips he felt the odd texture of her scars. "You know what it's like. That's why I'll talk to you about it. Little by little." Arcadia said it with a note of promise and Harry smiled at her when she looked at him.

"Take your time Arcadia. Don't worry...I know that sometimes, you just have to keep it to yourself for a while." Harry looked up at the sky then. "When I first got to Hogwarts, and became friends with Ron, I didn't want to talk about it either. It was easier to pretend that none of the bad stuff existed. Then Hermione became my friend too and after that, I started to think that maybe I could tell them, just a little, and I wouldn't lose them. I didn't. But I haven't told them everything. They come from happy homes, with families that love them, so they wouldn't understand it as well as you do. They would be worried and scared for me I think, and feel helpless. I don't want that."

Arcadia sighed softly. "It sounds nice, having friends I mean." She grinned a little then.

"It's great. You'll have some more too once we get to school. I like to think I'm your friend." Harry told her.

Arcadia paused and looked at him, her doll eyes shining wetly. Harry blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand before shaking his head and looking into her tearful eyes. He wouldn't be embarrassed because he knew she wasn't crying out of sadness.

"Thank you." Arcadia said after a moment, blinking and looking away to wipe at her eyes. When she looked back she was smiling faintly.

"Harry! HARRY!" The two turned then and Arcadia saw two kids their age waving at Harry frantically.

"It's Ron and Hermione!" Harry informed her. Arcadia was just about to say she would wait at the Leaky when Harry tugged her across the street, waving back.

Arcadia studied the two teenagers as they greeted their friend. The boy was a gangly looking, with a mop of fiery read hair and bright blue eyes. Freckles over his face and an awkward sort of feeling completed her impression of him. He seemed loud to, from the way he was speaking to Harry.

The girl was tanned from her time in the sun, with bushy brown hair and brown eyes. She looked a bit bossy to be truthful, but her manner was kind as she looked at Harry. Then those brown eyes slid to the side and caught her. "Oh, who's this Harry?" She asked in a curious tone.

"Ron, Hermione, this is Arcadia Prince. She just moved here and she's going to be starting at Hogwarts. We met on the night I got here." Harry explained, standing to the side so Ron could get a good look at her. "Arcadia, this is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, the ones I've told you about."

Arcadia nodded her head at both of them. "It's nice to finally meet you. Harry talks of you very much and I was curious."

"Nice to meet you too." Hermione said while Ron continued to gape at her, until Hermione kicked his foot then he started and his ears flushed.

"Er yeah nice to meet you." Ron said. "So where'd you move from?" He asked as Arcadia took a seat between Harry and Hermione.

"Austria." Arcadia told them. Hermione turned to her and her eyes were wide.

"That's fascinating. Do you know German then?" Hermione asked her and Arcadia looked away.

"Er, no." She said looking back up at Hermione. "Mother did but I never managed to pick it up."

Harry heard the hitch in her breath when Arcadia spoke, and from the puzzled look in Hermione's eyes, so did she, so he butted in. "Yeah Arcadia was only there a few years right?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Before that it was Germany for a year and a half, then India before that, the Philipines, Vietnam for a month, the Bahamas, and Canada for a few months..." Arcadia's hands clenched as she named the many places she'd lived but Harry was proud to note that she kept steady eye contact and her voice was quiet and calm.

"Wow, really?" Ron asked now, leaning forward. "That's cool." He added as Arcadia turned to him, nodding.

"Yes but I was born here in England." Arcadia told them and Harry blinked. She hadn't mentioned that before. "We stayed here for two years before..." Arcadia bowed her head. "Mother says Father died then and that's when we moved to Canada."

Hermione and Ron let a bit of silence drift in then as Harry turned to Arcadia who looked up at him. She bit her lip a little then gave him a helpless shrug. Harry reminded himself that Arcadia had her secrets, and she'd tell them to him when she wished. Besides, Hermione and Ron didn't see the hesitation and flickers of lifelessness in Arcadia's eyes the way Harry did. They were bound to ask and Arcadia needed to give them answers to keep them from digging too much. He gave her arm a small pat and smiled.

"So your mother decided to move back to England?" Hermione asked then. Arcadia's hand clenched in her lap then.

"Er...no." Arcadia said, not looking at either of them now. She gulped and Harry rescued the conversation again.

"Arcadia decided she wanted to come to school. She's been home schooled before then, right Arcadia?" Harry asked and Arcadia nodded, looking up at his friends again.

"Yes. So Mother decided it would be best for me to come here to Hogwarts." Arcadia finished up and managed a very good happy smile. Harry wondered how often she'd had to fake a smile before.

"That's wonderful. Will you be in our year?" Hermione wondered.

"Yes. But I have no idea what House I'll be in." Arcadia chuckled a little. "Harry is worried I'll end up in Slytherin."

Harry gave a small start before laughing along with Ron and Hermione. "Well actually I worry about that because I don't want you being bullied by Malfoy." Harry replied.

"The more you talk about him, the more I grow curious." Arcadia said then. "It might be worth ending up in Slytherin, just to meet this Malfoy boy."

Ron choked then and Hermione blinked rapidly before laughing along with Harry.

"You don't wanna be a slimy snake, trust me." Ron said then and Arcadia tipped her head to the side.

"And if I am?" She asked him with a frown. Ron's ears turned red again as he scratched his nose.

"If you are, well I'll just deal with it." Harry promised her again. Arcadia smiled then.

"Oh my goodness you have a lot of books." Arcadia pointed out then and Hermione smiled.

"They're for all my new subjects. I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Arithmancy, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies-"

"Muggle Studies!" Ron cut her off then, rolling his eyes. "What are you doing Muggle Studies for? You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"Are you planning on eating or sleeping at all this year Hermione?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Muggleborn?" Arcadia asked then and Ron turned to her with his mouth open before he snapped it shut and leveled a glare at her.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked, making Harry give him a look. He'd never asked Arcadia what she was come to think of it. It wasn't important to him. She hadn't asked him either he thought then and relaxed as she glared at Ron as well.

"Nothing of it, I just never met a Muggleborn before. My mother doesn't like them but I tend to be the opposite of what my mother is." Arcadia replied turning to Hermione with a smile. "I've never had much contact with Muggles either. Perhaps I should have been signed up for that class as well."

Hermione gave a relieved sigh then before blushing and pretending she hadn't. "Well maybe Professor McGonagall-er your Head of House will be able to get you into it. It would be nice to have someone else with me."

Arcadia smiled at her then. "I have to speak to Professor McGonagall anyway when we get there. Mother didn't move back with me, so the Headmaster is going to help me figure out where I'll be staying during the summer."

"Your mom didn't come with you?" Ron asked then, sounding as if this were an alien notion.

"No. Mother...doesn't really like being forced to settle down." Arcadia said and rubbed her scars in her lap, where Hermione and Ron couldn't see them. Harry pat her shoulder and decided his friends had gotten enough answers from Arcadia.

"Well Arcadia wanted to go see if she'd like an owl." Harry said. "Wanna come along?"

"Oh yes," Hermione said as she stood up and checked her purse. "Mum and Dad gave me some extra money so I could buy a birthday present for myself and I was considering an owl too."

"The magical creature shop is just over there." Arcadia said, pleased that she'd remembered as they all stood and began walking to it. Harry leaned in a little to whisper, "You did well."

"Thanks for helping me." Arcadia whispered back, putting her hands behind her back to ensure Hermione and Ron couldn't see her scars.

"What are friends for?" Harry replied as they stepped inside.

* * *

"I can't believe Hermione bought that thing." Ron repeated under his breath as they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry laughed at the look Hermione shot him.

"Crookshanks isn't your problem Ron so drop it." Hermione demanded turning to Arcadia who was giggling a little. "So none of the owls or other animals interested you?"

Arcadia shook her head. "Maybe when I have a chance next summer I'll go to a Muggle shop. I really think I would like a nice dog." She replied and shrugged.

"I wonder if the dog would be allowed at Hogwarts. I've never seen one." Hermione murmured then.

"I could always ask Professor McGonagall when I meet with her tomorrow night." Arcadia replied and Hermione nodded.

They entered the pub and spotted Mr. Weasley sitting at a table. "Harry! How are you?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Fine thanks." Harry replied as they joined him at the table and he saw Mr. Weasley look at Arcadia then. "Mr. Weasley, this is Arcadia Prince, my new friend. Arcadia, this is Ron's dad."

"Hello Mr. Weasley." Arcadia said then in a slightly quieter tone. Her eyes focused on a spot on his shoulder as she shook his hand. Mr. Weasley gave her a look but then smiled welcomingly.

"Hello Arcadia." He replied. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah, she just moved here." Harry answered for her. "She's going to start school with us in our year."

"Well then welcome." Mr. Weasley said and Arcadia managed a smile as she finally looked him in the eyes for a moment.

"Thank you."

Mrs. Weasley came in then with the rest of her children and Harry, after greeting her, introduced Arcadia to them. With Mrs. Weasley Arcadia was also more quiet and her nod was a little stiff. Fred and George greeted her with their usual grins and Ginny waved shyly from beside her mother while Percy gave her hand a firm shake. Harry saw Percy frown as Arcadia pulled her hand away and examine his hand, making Harry think he'd felt her scar.

"It's very nice to meet you all. Harry's told me a lot." Arcadia said after shaking Percy's hand. "I hope I won't be a bother." She added then.

"Not at all dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she gave Arcadia a friendly smile. "The more the merrier. Harry doesn't make friends with just anyone, so I know we'll all get along splendidly."

Arcadia nodded and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the evening.

* * *

"That wasn't so bad." Arcadia murmured as she slipped into her new pajamas. The Weasleys were a wonderfully ordinary family, the type Arcadia had always dreamed about. She could find herself growing to trust them. Ron and Hermione were wonderful as well, kind enough to accept her presence, if only for Harry's sake but still.

It was as she was climbing into bed that she saw the piece of parchment on her bed. Unfolding it she found a hurriedly scratched note.

_If you can, come out into the alley after dark. _

It was nearly eleven and Arcadia paused a moment to pull on a new sweater and slip into her shoes before going over to the door. She could hear muffled voices next door, and a few other noises besides. Carefully opening the door she peeked and saw the hallway was empty and blessedly dark.

In a matter of seconds she was slipping through the door and into the small backyard that connected to the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. Perched on a stone bench was a huge black dog.

"Sirius." Arcadia whispered, smiling as she dropped down in front of the dog. He butted his nose against her shoulder then wuffed softly. "Thank you for letting me use your vault. I got all my things new. And look at this." She dug around and pulled out her wand. "It's rowan and dragon heartstring, eleven inches. The man, Ollivander said its very good for Defense." Arcadia laughed as Sirius slipped his tongue out of his mouth and made a small snuffling noise. "Harry has been a very good person to me. He says he's my friend now." Sirius let his teeth show in what Arcadia thought was a grin.

"I've had lots of fun. And I've been sleeping well. Well last night I had a bad dream but Harry came in and stayed until I went back to sleep." Arcadia said to Sirius. "I feel much much better now. Thank you for taking care of me that day. You're the only adult I ever thought I could trust." Arcadia said and rubbed her hands. Sirius wuffed again then placed one of his paws on the back of one of her hands. Arcadia's lips twisted into an ugly smile. "Mother gave me these." She said and then snapped her mouth shut.

Sirius butted her shoulder again and she gave a shuddering sigh. "You need to be careful Sirius. I've been reading the papers. They say you did bad things." Arcadia looked him in the eyes then. "Did you?"

Sirius stared at her for a long time before at last he gave a definite shake of his head. Arcadia smirked then.

"Even if you had, I would forgive you." She promised patting his head. He gave one last wuff then his ears perked up and he disappeared into the darkness.

"Arcadia?" Tom called and Arcadia turned, getting up and dusting off her knees.

"I needed some fresh air." She told him and walked inside.

* * *

Arcadia was a little winded after the chaos of their leaving the Leaky Cauldron and boarding the train. Added to that the revelation Harry had made, which just didn't sit well with her, but from Ron and Hermione's reactions she decided it was best to simply remain silent and look concerned.

They passed the train ride after that discussing Hogsmeade for a while, and Arcadia wondered if she'd be allowed to go. When Harry said he hadn't gotten permission though she felt it might be better to remain in the castle either way.

After the lunch witch appeared, Arcadia was sitting curled up beside Harry, eating one of the Cauldron Cakes. Arcadia had looked at the witch's lunch cart and had accidentally let slip that she'd never seen any of those treats. Harry had promptly bought a bit of everything and the other three were watching her reactions to each new iteam she tasted.

"This is good." Arcadia said while reaching for another cake. Ron was handing it to her when he gave a start and dropped the gummy worm in his mouth as he gaped and grabbed her wrist.

"Oi! What's that!" He asked making a move as if to touch her scar. Arcadia's eyes widened and she gave a short yell just as she yanked her hand free and the door to their compartment slid open.

"Harry! Did you see that!" Ron demanded not noticing who was standing in the compartment doorway. Harry didn't either as he turned and saw Arcadia clasping her hands to her chest. She was looking frightened and he reached up to touch her shoulder.

"It's alright Arcadia. Deep breath. It's alright." Harry told her as she stuff her hands into the pockets of her coat.

"What's this?" Drawled a voice and finally they all turned to the doorway, Arcadia peeking around Harry.

A trio of boys stood there. Two were thick and muscley and Arcadia could just tell from their looks that they used those muscles more than their brains. The third boy stood in front of them, sneering as he looked at them all. Gray eyes, pale skin, blonde hair.

"He would be prettier without the sneer." Arcadia said aloud then. Everyone turned to look at her and Arcadia flinched, hiding behind Harry's back. "Sorry." She murmured.

"Who's that?" The blonde boy demanded to know, taking a step into the compartment.

"None of your business Malfoy." Harry snapped, keeping himself between Malfoy and Arcadia.

"Oh, so that's Malfoy." Arcadia whispered, sounding more normal as she peered over Harry's shoulder. "Huh, I expected someone more...ugly. I'm not used to seeing pretty mean people aside from Mother-" And Arcadia drew in a sharp gasp and hid once more behind Harry.

Harry scowled. "Sod off Malfoy, you're bothering Arcadia."

"Arcadia?" Malfoy asked, taking another step inside and trying to get a better look at the girl. "Arcadia who?"

"She's just moved here so go away Malfoy." Hermione said in a hiss.

"Shut up Granger I wasn't-"

The professor in the corner gave a loud snort then and Malfoy took a step back.

"Who's that?" He asked.

"New professor," Harry replied, "you were saying Malfoy?" He added with a smirk. Malfoy glared but even he wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with a professor so close by. He turned and called to Crabbe and Goyle, leaving the compartment with one last look at them all.

Once there was silence Harry turned back to Arcadia to find her curled up on the seat, her hair shielding her from Hermione and Ron's gazes.

"What's on your hand Arcadia?" Ron asked then in a strong, clear tone. Harry looked over to tell him to drop it but stopped when he saw Ron's eyes were blazing as well as his ears. When Arcadia didn't answer Ron cursed. "Does it hurt?"

"No." Arcadia whispered, not looking at them.

"Who did that to you?" Ron demanded. Arcadia made a small noise of pain and hid her face in her hands. "Hey, tell me." Ron said in a slightly quieter tone. "It's not right if someone hurt you."

Arcadia shuddered and finally looked up at Harry with her lifeless doll eyes. Harry pat her shoulder. "You don't have to if you don't want to." He told her, shooting Ron a glare. Arcadia took a few deep breaths before slowly uncurling and turning so that she was facing Ron and Hermione, but kept her head bowed. Her hands were in her lap, and the right fingers were moving over the scars.

"Don't...don't worry Ron." Arcadia said slowly. "I...she can't hurt me anymore."

"Who?"

"Mother." Arcadia looked up then and Hermione gasped as she took in Arcadia's dull gaze.

"Your mom!" Ron cried out, gulping when Professor Lupin shifted. "Your mom." Ron repeated in a quieter tone. Arcadia shuddered and turned to Harry.

"You can tell them." She said as she curled back up in her seat and shut her eyes.

Harry pat her head then turned to Ron and Hermione. "The truth is Arcadia ran away from her mom. Her mom's a bad witch who treated her badly. Worse than anything the Dursleys ever did to me." Harry added and Hermione gasped again while Ron turned a sickly pale. "She doesn't like talking about it much so please don't ask her about it alright? I told her she can tell me things when she's ready to tell me things. Don't push it." He added as he gave his friends each a hard glare. Hermione was nodding while Ron was looking a bit indignant.

"But...it's just not right. And won't McGonagall ask her anyway?"

Arcadia gasped this time before shuddering and murmuring, "I think...they sort of know. Dumbledore's letter...said he'd help me."

Ron gulped again but seemed to deflate a little. "I'm sorry Arcadia. Er..." He looked uncomfortable then.

Arcadia turned her head and blinked slowly at him before her lips trembled. "I'm sorry too. I just...I'm not used to people caring. No one ever did before." Arcadia took a deep breath and turned back to Hermione and Ron. "I hope this doesn't make you think badly of me." She added.

"What? Of course not! It's not like you asked for it!" Ron surprised his friends by saying it. "You don't gotta worry either Arcadia. From now on, you got me and Harry. If anyone gives you any trouble, you tell me and I'll take care of it."

Arcadia's head snapped up as she stared at Ron in utter shock. Then she gave a little watery laugh and hid her face.

"Thank you." She told him.

"Me as well." Hermione added and Arcadia nodded. A sniffling sound came from her then and the three teens all just let her have her moment of silence as she composed herself.

When she finally looked back at them, her eyes were extra bright but she managed a small smile. "I am glad." She murmured before letting her hands rest on her lap with the scars visible. Hermione and Ron looked at them then away sheepishly. "You are very good people too." She added before reaching for the cake she'd dropped and opening it up. "These are really good." She whispered as she closed her eyes and munched on the cake.

After another awkward moment Ron grabbed some Bertie Botts Beans and gave her a handful. "Try some of these, they're wild. Every flavor you've ever thought could exist. And I mean every flavor. I'm eating a dirt one right now."

Harry beamed at his friends who smiled back. Hermione's eyes were bright as well and she had to turn around to rub at them but she gave him a firm nod and drew Arcadia into talk of Arithmancy as if Arcadia had revealed nothing more scandalous than an allergy.

He knew later they would all have a long, much needed discussion but he was happy that they were willing to indulge Arcadia in ignoring it for the moment.

There was plenty of time for Arcadia to face her past and reveal her secrets. Harry would do everything to make sure that when she was ready, she could speak freely and without fear.

Just like he wished someone had done for him when he was younger. He'd do that for her now. It was what friends did for each other after all.

* * *

_**Chapter three down. Wow, im surprised how easily this story is coming along. Well next time we'll see where Arcadia is Sorted. Thanks for reading Still Doll!**_


	4. Upheaval

**~Still Doll~**

**All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. **

**Thank you everyone who is reading Still Doll and any of my other fanfics. I am very grateful you enjoy them. **

* * *

**Chapter Four: Upheaval **

"I like rain." Arcadia said as she caught Ron shooting a scowl at the dark window. The lights had come on in the compartment and the rain had thickened.

"Do you?" Hermione asked as Arcadia got up from her seat to place a hand on the window. Breathing on it, Arcadia drew a little flower in the fog.

"Mmhm. Rainy days were good ones." Arcadia replied softly before turning back to face her new friends. "How much longer until we get there?" She asked with a note of excitement replacing the sadness.

"We must be nearly there." Ron said with another look out the window. The words had hardly left his lips before the train suddenly began to slow. "Excellent." Ron grinned, getting up and trying to peer through the window. "I'm starving. Wait until you see the Welcoming Feast Arcadia..."

"We can't be there yet." Hermione piped up then, frowning as she checked her watch.

"So why're we stopping?" Harry wondered as the train jerked to a stop. Arcadia wavered and Ron caught her sleeve, keeping her upright. Harry sent him a smile before he frowned and went to peer out the door.

The lights flickered and died out then.

"What's going on?" Ron asked as he looked around trying to see through the gloomy dark.

"Do you think we've broken down?" Harry asked while feeling his way back to his seat. "Arcadia?"

"I'm staying still by the window Harry." Arcadia replied in a steady voice. Harry wondered if she was really that calm or if she was faking it again.

"Ouch! Ron that was my foot!" Hermione cried out as Ron moved. Harry looked over and saw Ron's tall outline move over to the window beside Arcadia's. He wiped at the fog and peered outside.

"It looks like...someone's getting on." He told his friends.

"Look." Arcadia called out then, as she shifted and Harry saw more weak light filter into the compartment. "At the window." She added and Harry stared, seeing frost begin to spread along the pane.

"What on earth...?" Hermione whispered as the air suddenly dropped several degrees. Harry saw a slight puff in front of him and jumped as he realized it was his breath.

"It's so cold..." Arcadia murmured.

"Here, take my cloak." Ron said, shruging off his cloak and putting it on the smaller girl. Arcadia nodded gratefully as she shivered more and tried not to press her back against the window. The sudden darkness didn't frighten her. Darkness in general didn't scare her, but the cold was so bone-chilling that she felt her instincts on high alert. Some part of her mind registered the danger even if she couldn't decipher why. It was just a part of her she knew better than to ignore. The years under her mother's evil ways had ensured her instincts became well-honed.

The door opened then and there came a sound of someone falling.

"Sorry," came a new voice and Arcadia flinched but remained standing by the window. "D'you know what's going on? Ouch, sorry..."

"Hullo Neville." Harry replied as he recognized the voice. Reaching out he felt for Neville's shoulder and used his cloak to pull him up into the seat next to him.

"Harry is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea. Sit down."

Neville did so next to Harry.

"I'm going to go ask the driver what's going on." Hermione's voice called out from her seat as she rose and began moving to the door.

The air suddenly became colder and the sound of chattering teeth filled the dark silence. Then there came a crackling sound, like fire in a camp pit. A faint light started in the corner where Professor Lupin had rested until that point.

"Stay where you are." Lupin said as she stood up with the faint light in his hand now. "I will go in-"

His words stopped as the door handle clicked and it began to open.

A tall cloaked figure stood in the now open doorway. The hood fell to hide its face and Harry looking down spotted a hand that glistened, looking slimy and decayed. The hand disappeared into the cloak folds, much like Arcadia's did when she grew nervous someone would see her scars.

The figure drew in a long rattling breath, which shook them all to the core. But Arcadia was too terrified too move. Her stomach twisted and filled with dread as she recognized the creature before her. She tried to warn Professor Lupin and the others, but as the creature breathed in, it seemed to steal her own breath. Her body froze and she shuddered, clasping her hands to her chest as she continued to stare on in horror.

Arcadia felt her lungs freeze as she gasped in a chilly gulp of air. The figure looked around for the source of the noise and focused on her. Arcadia felt her eyes widen as it then turned its head in the direction of Harry. She tried to move then, to protect her new friend, the kindly boy who surely didn't deserve whatever horrors had befallen him and made him a target for the creature before them. Her body remained frozen then and the creature took in another long breath.

This time it had a purpose though. Arcadia knew the first breath had been to taste them all, to seek out the darkest of dark memories each person possessed. This time it was a breath to feast.

Cold seeped deep down into her flesh, into her bones, and oddly enough Arcadia found some twisted comfort in this feeling. She felt it before, she knew what to expect. Unlike so many things in the last two weeks this came very close to her 'normal'.

Then the cold entered her very soul and it was no longer a comfort to know this. Fog curled into her sight and something heavy and slimy welled up from inside her as she fell into memories she'd rather not relive.

How long the creature gobbled up its meal, Arcadia didn't know. All she knew was that suddenly from somewhere she felt the cold end and slowly the fog slipped away, leaving her to shudder and shake violently even as the lights flared back to life in the compartment.

Sucking in an explosive breath Arcadia blinked away the last of the fog and found herself laying on her side.

"Arcadia!" Hermione cried out, turning everyone's attention to the girl.

Arcadia tried to speak some comfort, but her tongue felt heavy and all she could do was breath in, staring blankly at Hermione.

"Arcadia!" Harry called out this time but still Arcadia couldn't move or speak. Her body felt much like it had on the night Sirius had found her in that Muggle garden, laying in the thickening mud.

Her view shifted then as someone helped her to her feet and sat her down across from Harry. Harry was shaking, covered in sweat, looking pale as a sheet.

"Are you two okay?" Ron asked, eyes flickering back from Arcadia to Harry.

"Yeah," Harry said, looking towards the door, which was shut and empty of that creature. "What happened? Where's that-that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed." Ron replied, looking uneasy as he turned to Arcadia.

"But I heard screaming..." Harry insisted. He had a sudden thought. "Was it Arcadia?"

Ron shook his head at his friend, turning to the girl. "It wasn't..." Ron paused. "Arcadia?" Ron called nervously.

Harry turned to look at his new friend and felt his chest squeeze. She was sitting there, eyes glassy and lifeless, hands on her lap, legs together, head tilted to one side. Harry shuddered. She truly looked like a porcelain doll then. As still and empty as one.

"De...men...tor." Arcadia's lips moved then, but she didn't blink or move much else.

"What?" Harry asked, too shocked by her resemblance to an unfeeling doll.

"Dementor." Arcadia repeated, blinking. That did nothing to return her eyes to their more natural selves though.

"That's what that creature was. One of the Dementors of Azkaban." Professor Lupin replied as he snapped some chocolate. The loud snap jolted Harry but Arcadia didn't so much as flinch. "Here," Lupin said as he handed out pieces to all the teenagers. "Eat this. It'll help." He paused when he got to Arcadia. Holding out the chocolate he frowned when the girl made no move to grab for it. "Miss?" He asked, kneeling down a little to look at her. When she didn't seem to react he grew more worried before taking her hand and placing the chocolate in it. "Eat." He commanded gently.

Arcadia twitched then and her hand raised jerkily to her lips. Her mouth opened a bit and she bit down on the chocolate. Her eyes blinked once more and her hand dropped down to her lap like a lead weight. Everyone watching her aside from Harry shuddered.

Professor Lupin didn't like it but he had to go and speak to the conductor. He excused himself and left the teenagers sitting there.

Harry watched him go before turning his attention back to Arcadia. Without taking his eyes off the girl he said, "I don't get it... What happened?"

Hermione took in a sharp breath as she too turned to Arcadia. "Well-that thing-the dementor-stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face)-and you-you-"

Ron picked up the tale then. "I thought you were hing a fit." He said as his eyes flickered to Arcadia. "You went sort of rigid andfell out of your seat and started twitching-"

"And Arcadia?" Harry asked, getting up and kneeling in front of the girl who made no motion that she noticed anything around her other than a blink of her eyes.

"She-she just went all rigid and then fell down." Ron told him in a hush. "Like those puppets on a string-" Ron snapped his mouth shut as he took in Arcadia's blank stare.

"Like a puppet..." Harry repeated.

"And then Professor Lupin stepped over you and pulled out his wand," Hermione continued, "and said 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move. So Lupin muttered something and a silvery thing shot out of his wand and the dementor turned around and glided off..."

"It was horrible." Neville sqeauaked then. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," Ron stated while nodding. "Like I'd never feel cheerful again..."

"That's what it does." Arcadia's voice was a monotone, filled with no inflections or feeling. Harry wondered if that could be considered a doll voice. "Dementors make you relive bad things. They like eating it up."

"Eating it up?" Harry asked her, happy she was speaking if not that she didn't move and sat as if made of stone.

"Our bad memories are their food." Arcadia replied, blinking once. "Sadness...depression...all that...makes them happy..." And her mouth clicked shut.

Lupin returned then and gave a small smile. "I haven't poisoned the chocolate you know..." Harry took a bite of his and felt warmth flooding his body. He looked up at Arcadia and saw she hadn't done more than take a tiny bit off the corner. "Eat Arcadia." He watched as her hand moved up and her mouth opened to take a larger nibble.

That one seemed to work as she didn't pull the chocolate away this time and instead spent the next ten minutes working through her small pieces.

By the time they arrived she seemed much better, though her movements were still jerky and her eyes unnervingly empty. But she moved and followed them off the train, letting Harry take her hand as he led her off the train and onto the platform where Hagrid shouted a greeting.

"A giant man..." Arcadia murmured then and Harry turned to her with a smile.

"That's Hagrid." Harry replied as he led her over to a muddy track where the rest of the school was headed, boarding stagecoaches that seemed to be pulled along on their own. Arcadia paused as they climbed onto an empty one, looking at the place where a horse might go. "What is it?" Harry asked her. She just turned back and climbed into the coach.

Although the chocolate helped, Harry still felt weak. He wondered if Arcadia felt the same way.

"Beautiful." Arcadia's voice sounded a little warmer as their coach passed the gates of Hogwarts and she peered through the window at the sweeping grounds and the lit up castle. "Beautiful." She repeated as she continued to look.

"It is, isn't it?" Harry asked her, squeezing her hand. She turned to look at him then, a jerky twitch of her head, but her eyes were getting back to normal. Glassy but filled with something. Harry felt himself relax.

Their carriage came to a halt and Harry jumped down, turning to help Arcadia out when he heard Malfoy's delighted drawl call out, "You _fainted_, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?"

Harry scowled but focused on getting Arcadia out of the coach before whirling around to face Malfoy. Malfoy wasn't looking at him though, his eyes were locked on Arcadia, who stood facing the blonde much like she had sat in the train. Still, eyes empty, head cocked to the left, her hands folded in front of her.

"I did too." She said in a stronger tone than Harry had heard since the train. "Will you mock me as well?" She asked, tilting her head to the right.

Malfoy opened his mouth to speak but then Professor Lupin appeared.

"Is there a problem?" Lupin asked. Malfoy stared insolently at him, then gave him a once over before replying, "Oh no, er, _Professor_." He smirked and turned, Crabbe and Goyle at his sides as he moved up the steps and into the castle.

Hermione gave Ron a prod in the back to get him moving and Harry took Arcadia's hand once more, leading her inside, pausing when she gasped. He wondered if she was hurt for a moment before he noticed her taking in the entrance hall, lit up with torched and showcasing the marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

"Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!" Called a voice Harry knew well.

Turning along with Hermione they saw their Head of House, Professor McGonagall, standing off to the side of the crowd flowing into the Great Hall. They fought their way over to her just as she spoke to herself, "Now if only I could find-Oh!" Harry saw her eyes fasten on Arcadia who was looking at her now. "Ah, you would be Miss Prince then." McGonagall said.

Arcadia gave a short nod and made sure to hide her hands in the folds of her cloak. "You're Professor McGonagall?" She asked sounding more like herself now. Harry saw that that didn't wipe the look of worry from McGonagall's face as she examined the girl.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Miss Prince. Now you three follow me to my office. Move along there, Weasley."

Ron was left behind as the other three followed the witch to her office. The large welcoming fire made Harry relax as he helped Arcadia sit down. He caught McGonagall eyeing them consideringly before she turned her attention to Harry. "Professor Lupin owled ahead and said you had taken ill on the train Potter." McGonagall's eyes flickered to Arcadia then.

"What? But I'm fine. Arcadia..." There was a knock on the door and the school nurse, Madame Pomfrey, entered then. "Really I'm fine-"

"Oh it's you is it?" Pomfrey asked as she bustled over and looked him over. "I suppose you were doing something dangerous again?" She asked.

"It was a dementor Poppy." Pomfrey and McGonagall shared a look before McGonagall added, "Miss Prince also fainted." She motioned to the girl who sat still but had her eyes focused on Harry. Pomfrey turned to her as soon as she caught Arcadia's dull eyes and began checking her pulse.

"Are you alright dear?" Pomfrey asked kindly. "Have you had any chocolate at least?"

"Professor Lupin gave us all some." Harry replied then.

"Did he now?" Pomfrey asked while checking Arcadia's temperate and pulse. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his rememdies?"

Arcadia's lips twitched then. "Do you mean the others have not?" She asked the nurse who gave her a wink.

"Are you sure you're feel alright Potter?" McGonagall asked sharply?

"Yes." Harry stressed. "Is Arcadia alright?" He asked then, turning to Pomfrey as she peered into Arcadia's eyes.

"Miss-Prince was it?-seems to be alright physically..." Pomfrey peered at Arcadia closer. "Though it seems you experienced some great magical drain recently." She added as she looked closer at Arcadia's eyes.

"I Apparated from Austria to Surrey." Arcadia replied with a small twitch of her shoulders. Pomfrey gave a surprised inhale of shock before McGonagall gave a crisp shake of her head. Pomfrey gave a small nod in return. "Well that would explain your state right now. You'll be all the better for some good company and a filling meal. If you feel up to it of course." Pomfrey added.

"I want to go to the feast." Arcadia said with force now. "It's my very first one after all." She added as she turned to look at McGonagall.

"Very well, if you're both sure you're fine." Pomfrey said then turned and left the room.

"Now then Miss Prince..." McGongall stopped as Arcadia met her eyes. "Well I had planned on speaking to you about your situation...but as you expressed the wish to join the feast then I suggest we speak tomorrow. That way you may go through the classes and bring up any concerns you may have with them." Arcadia managed to smile then. McGonagall nodded. "As for your Sorting... At Hogwarts it is customary to hold it before the entire school. Therefore, Professor Dumbledore has decided that you will join the first years and be Sorted just as your fellow students have been." Arcadia gave a nod.

"Very well. Now Potter, Prince, if you would kindly wait outside a moment while I discuss Miss Grangers schedule with her."

Harry was up and holding out his hand to Arcadia before the girl even registered it. She took his hand and stood up, then followed him out of the office and into the corridor. "She seems alright." Arcadia said now, turning to Harry with a faint grin. Harry nodded.

"She's a good person. Strict and stern but good." Harry promised her. Arcadia smiled more strongly now.

They had to wait only a minute or two before McGonagall and Hermione came out, Hermione looking ecstatic about something as McGonagall led them back downstairs, through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall. She turned to Arcadia then. "If you would follow me Miss Prince." Arcadia gave a nod and smiled when Harry gave her hand a squeeze. She watched him and Hermione move towards the table on the far right and then let McGonagall led her through the middle of the hall and up onto a low dais where Arcadia saw plenty of adults. The professors then. But in front of them was a small huddle of students. As she watched, a short wizard called out a name, one of the children in the huddle moved forward to sit on a stool and place a raggedy hat on his head.

Just as she and McGonagall reached them, the raggedy hat gave a twitch and shouted out, "Hufflepuff!"

McGonagall met her eye then and Arcadia nodded, moving to join the crowd. McGonagall moved forward and joined her fellow professors at a table. Arcadia turned back to the crowd, her eyes sweeping over the filled tables as the last child was called forward.

Then she heard, "Prince, Arcadia," and she turned to the stool, walking forward and picking up the hat from the stool where the last first year had left it. She sat down and placed it on her head.

_Ahh, well you're late Miss Prince. _

_You were expecting me? _Arcadia asked the hat.

_Yes I was, _the hat replied with a mysterious chuckle, _but better late than never I suppose. Now then...hmm...although your education has been lacking, you've an excellent mind. You are eager to learn, to gain the stregnth your mother tried to deny you. _Arcadia made sure her hands were hidden in the cloak folds. _And you want revenge... _

_I do. But I have other wants greater then revenge at the moment. _

_Yes I see them. And I know where all of these wants will be fulfilled. _

_Where?_

"Slytherin!" The hat shouted and Arcadia pulled the hat off her head as the table on the left started clapping. She cast a glance at Harry, and he gave a nod and a wave. So she took a deep breath and went towards the clapping table.

Sitting down with the first years, Arcadia felt many eyes on her and kept her head bowed as the noise settled down. Peeking through her bangs she saw a tall man had stood up behind a podium. She figured this must be the headmaster, from the fact that the crowded hall was quiet and every face was turned to him. He had blue eyes, long silver hair and beard, a crooked nose, and just from looking at him Arcadia could sense some great power. She took in a deep breath as he began to speak.

"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things o say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..." Dumbledore said in a clear, carrying tone. He cleared his throat then continued.

"As you will all be aware after the search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Misintry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance into the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave the school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises-or even Invisibility Cloaks."

"It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleasding or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure no students run afoul of the dementors."

Arcadia gave a shudder and then took another deep breath while rubbing her scars under the table.

"Oh a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year." Dumbledore said. "First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Arcadia smiled at the man and clapped strongly. The man had helped her after all. She was beginning to believe there were kind adults as well as kind children like Harry in the world.

"As to our second new appointment, well I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleurn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year to enjoy his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Arcadia clapped again and noted that many more people were clapping now for the giant who was red in the face and seemed to be grinning. She noted that Harry, Ron and Hermione were particularly ecstatic and so continued to clap until they stopped.

Dumbledore waited patiently for the applause to end before turning to look right at her. Arcadia looked right back, for once not afraid to meet an adult's gaze. "Also, as I'm sure you all noticed, we have a new student joining the third year here. Miss Arcadia Prince, who has been Sorted into Slytherin." Arcadia continued to stare at Dumbledore as many people turned to stare at her. "I ask her fellow third year Slytherins to be generous to Miss Prince, who has been home schooled until this point." Arcadia turned to look up the table finally and saw Draco Malfoy scowling at her. She continued to stare even as Dumbledore spoke once more.

"Well I think that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!"

Arcadia gasped along with some of the first years as the empty plates before them suddenly filled with food of all sorts. Arcadia felt a bit overwhelmed. Never had she seen so many dishes before. A hand on her shoulder stopped her from gaping. Turning her head she found an older girl with a bit of a bland smile on her face.

"I am the Slytherin Prefect, Maguerite Loriet. Why don't you come up here and join your year mates?" Prefect Loriet asked. It was in the manner of a command though. Arcadia had been subjected to those before so she simply got up from her seat and followed the older girl to about the middle of the table. "Third years, you heard the Headmaster. Miss Prince is new to school and therefore you are to be patient and answer all her questions."

There were murmurs of agreement and nods before Loriet let go of Arcadia's shoulder and watched her sit down.

Arcadia chose the space next to a girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. The girl smiled in an enigmatic way as she held out her hand. "Daphne Greengrass."

"Arcadia Prince." Arcadia replied as she shook hands with Daphne Greengrass. She made sure to hide her hand under the table afterwards. If Daphne Greengrass noticed, she said nothing and turned instead to wave a hand at the teenagers around them. "This is Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Angeline Briar. You'll be sharing the dorm with us from now on." Daphne explained. "And these are the third year boys. Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe and Draco Malfoy."

"We've met." Malfoy said shortly before Arcadia could reply. Daphne Greengrass lifted an eyebrow and Draco sneered at Arcadia. "She's friends with Potter."

Arcadia turned to him and cocked her own eyebrow. "Harry is the only person I've ever met aside from my mother." Arcadia told him, feeling glad when his sneer faltered. "Until two weeks ago, the only person I had constant contact with was Mother. I met Harry the night I arrived in London. Can you fault me for making a friend of him?" Arcadia held Malfoy's gaze until the boy's sneer had completely disappeared.

"There, see Draco?" Daphne Greengrass said with a slight laugh in her tone. "You can't fault the poor girl for making friends with Potter."

"I suppose not." Malfoy said at last as he turned to look back at Arcadia. "Well now you're a Slytherin, so there won't be any need for you to depend on Potter."

Arcadia let her head tilt to the side as she studied Malfoy. "You're very pretty Draco Malfoy." She said then watching at Malfoy puffed up. "But you're very stupid, if you believe I will allow whatever rivalry goes on between Slytherins and Gryffindors affect my new friendship. I never had friends, so I'll thank you kindly to be quiet and leave me be. If you can't stand the fact that I'm going to be friends with a Gryffindor, well then, that's your issue I suppose."

She gave a firm nod then finally served herself some fried chicken and mashed potatoes, along with some corn and biscuits. After a bite she murmured, "This food is very good."

"Oh it's alright." Daphne said then with a slight snicker. Arcadia turned to her and found the girl looking at Draco, who was stabbing moodily at his plate. "Now food at my home is delicious. Our house-elves were trained by French wizards and every year Mother ensures their skills are still up to par."

Arcadia gave a faint smile as she continued to eat. "Everything tastes better when you don't have any worries..." Arcadia murmured then frowned and continued her meal in silence. These people were stranger than Harry. As she watched them speak to one another she had a feeling like she'd entered another world. With Harry things were simple and easy. He gave her time and space and understood those secrets of malice that weighed down her heart. These people though, they jabbed at each other in pretty words and looks that held double meanings.

"I'm afraid I have much to learn." Arcadia murmured then, so used to being ignored that she jumped slightly when her fellow third years turned to look at her questioningly.

"Learn about what?" Daphne asked her.

"About people." Arcadia figured she could be honest about this at least. "You're all very fascinating to watch."

Daphne and the others chuckled. Draco was the one who spoke up though. "You speak as if you've never interacted with people before."

Arcadia smirked then, eyes becoming cool and lifeless. "I haven't. It wasn't allowed." And that was all she said as the feast moved on. Her companions kept shooting her odd looks during the rest of the meal and Arcadia felt that that small admission would pique their interests and make them question her endlessly.

But Harry had said that she could take her time to speak about her life before they met. And Harry hadn't lied to her yet. So she simply kept her eyes on her food until the desserts had ended and then she rose from her seat along with everyone else.

Turning she waved as she saw Harry hurrying over. "Come on Arcadia, you've got to meet Hagrid." Harry was saying, ignoring the Slytherins who sneered at him and taking her hand. Arcadia smiled and was about to go when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You'll have to do that tomorrow Potter." Loriet was back. "Miss Prince needed to come with me so that I can show her the way to our common room and tell her the password."

Harry scowled for a moment but then nodded and pat Arcadia's hand. "Alright, tomorrow then." Harry said as he gave Arcadia's shoulder a pat. "You take care of yourself Arcadia. I'll see you in the morning."

Arcadia watched Harry as she was pulled by Loriet. He was frowning as he watched her go. Loriet led her through the doors and away from the marble staircase, which most of the school was heading towards. Arcadia lost sight of Harry then and turned to face forward at last. She felt an old tug of fear curling up now as Loriet led her down into a dim corridor along with some of the other Slytherins.

"The Slytherin common room and dorms are down here." Loriet explained as she took Arcadia through all the twists and turns. Arcadia tried her best to remember them. At last they reached a blank stretch of wall. "Here we are." At Arcadia's blank look Loriet chuckled. "We Slytherins like our privacy. Now then, the password is 'Orion'." Arcadia couldn't help the gasp as the wall suddenly shifted and opened up onto a long, low ceilinged room with stone walls. The floor was stone but there were plenty of expensive looking rugs scattered about with high backed chairs and cushy looking couches. Arcadia took it all in.

Loriet chuckled at her awed expression. "Nice isn't it?" She asked as she led Arcadia through the room. Arcadia nodded, examining the elaborately carved marble fireplace and the portraits all around, along with the green laterns that hung from chains all around the ceiling and the other tasteful decorations. Everything was done in different hues of green, silver, black, white and dark shades of purple and blue.

Loriet led her to a door, on which was carved 'Girls Dormitory'. She opened the door while speaking. "The doorknob will only turn when a girl touches it, and a spell on the doorframe will stop any boys from entering." There was a long hallway behind the door, with a set of double doors on either side. One had a silver Roman numeral one on it, the other had a two. At the end of the hall was a small flight of stairs. Loriet led her towards those. "It is encouraged for you to mingle with your fellow Slytherin girls, which is why the dorms are open to all of us. If someone steals from you, you can rest assured the culprit will be punished most harshly. We do not steal from each other. We are Slytherins, and there are more useful things to put our minds to than thievery."

The flight of stairs twisted up in a lazy spiral of two circles before opening onto another long hallway. At the end Arcadia spotted another set of stairs but Loriet didn't take her to those. They stopped at a set of double doors with silver III's on it. "This is your dorm now." Loriet said while opening them and stepping to the side to allow Arcadia to enter. Pansy, Daphne, Millicent and Angeline were already there, laughing softly and lounging on chairs around a small fireplace. When the doors opened they turned and nodded to Loriet.

The dorm was long and low ceilinged as well, but it was quite obviously a girl's room. There were five, four-poster beds, one of them empty. The others were decorated according to their owner's taste. Arcadia took note that there was an extra seat by the fireplace as well, and another set of double doors on the west wall that she figrued must lead to a bathroom.

"Well here you are Prince. Remember the password. Curfew is always at nine o'clock for those under fifth year. You may stay up however long you like of course, so long as you are in the common room by nine. I'm sure your classmates will show you around tomorrow and until you feel comfortable on your own. If you have need of me, I'll be on the next floor in the sixth year's dorm. Have a good night."

"Good night Miss." Arcadia said with a nod of her head. Loriet left, shutting the doors behind her and Arcadia turned to face the girls looking over at her now.

"The elves put all your tolietries in the bathroom already." Daphne said as she motioned Arcadia over to the fire. "And your clothes are already arranged in that bureau there." She pointed to the cherrywood bureau next to the empty bed. "Your books and other things are still in your trunk. Now then, would you like anything to drink before bed?"

Arcadia shook her head. "I'm feeling a little tired. I think if it's alright, I'll be turning in early tonight."

Pansy Parkinson looked like she was about to say something when Daphne spoke over her. "Well alright then. If you need anything, all you have to do is wake me up and I'll help you in any way I can." Arcadia nodded, going to the bureau and digging out her nightgown. She dressed quickly and undid the ribbons of her bed before climbing inside. "Good night." Daphne called.

"Good night." Arcadia replied, turning onto her side and shutting her eyes, hoping there would be no bad dreams tonight.

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_**Haha this chapter felt like it would never end, but in a good way. Thanks for reading!**_


	5. A Lot to Learn

**~Still Doll~**

**All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. **

**Thank you everyone who is reading Still Doll and any of my other fanfics. I am very grateful you enjoy them. **

* * *

**Chapter Five: A Lot to Learn**

Arcadia woke up with a lurch, disoriented for a moment. She heard her name being called. "I'm up, I'm up." She murmured, throwing the covers off her and rolling over to stand. "I'm up." She muttered again as she walked forward with her hand outstretched.

She blinked when her hand bumped into stone. Staring at her hand she then turned and blinked a few more times until at last the room came into focus.

"What are you doing?" A girl with short black hair asked. Arcadia frowned then her mind clicked and she felt a odd warmth on her cheeks.

"Er...I forgot where I was Miss Pansy." Arcadia replied with a bob of her head and turned to find her bureau already open with her school uniform hanging at the ready. Her new shoes were shined and sitting on her bedside table along with clean white stockings.

"Where'd you think you were?" The brunette, Millicent, Arcadia remembered, asked as she pulled on her shirt.

"I thought I was home." Arcadia replied, going into the bathroom to find Daphne and Angeline. The bathroom was marble, with a mosaic floor depicting a snake wending its way amongst a garden. Arcadia smirked at that. "The Garden of Eden?" She asked as she pushed toothpaste onto her toothbrush.

Angeline laughed then as she pulled a brush through her hair. "Yes. Every girl's bathroom has a representation of the Garden in their bathroom. The Seventh Years bathroom is the most elaborate of them. When I first saw the picture of it in my first year I was surprised as well. But there is a different meaning for us Slytherins." Arcadia turned to her and cocked her head to the side. "The serpent represents us, the garden the rest of the world. See how the serpent is as green as the fauna?" Angeline asked and Arcadia turned her eyes down to see the serpent was perched on a mossy branch. "We have the choice to blend into our world, or stand out and make decisions that impact our world. Remember that Arcadia. You're one of us now."

Arcadia paused then nodded and pulled her hair into a ponytail. A green ribbon was held in front of her face and she turned to find Daphne holding it out to her. "Just as a reminder." Daphne said. Arcadia took it and tied it onto her hair, the ends tickling her neck.

After that they finished dressing and Arcadia took a look at herself in the mirror as she pulled on her tie. She looked, normal, which made her happy as she pulled on the school robes, leaving them open over her uniform.

Daphne and the other girls waited for her in the common room, along with the boys. "Who do you remember?" Daphne asked her while motioning towards the boys.

"Zabini." Arcadia said to the tall black boy who smirked and nodded to her. "Theodore." Arcadia said to the skinnier boy with a pointy face. "Draco Malfoy." Arcadia muttered to Draco who gave a sneer. "Crabbe. Goyle."

"Very good. You learn quickly." Daphne praised as they turned, picking up their bookbags. Arcadia adjusted her own. "That quick mind will be good. You'll be able to keep up with us."

"I want to do well." Arcadia told them as they made their way up the stairs to the entrance hall.

"So long as you pay attention, you will." Angeline told her making Arcadia smile a little.

As they entered the hall Arcadia looked over to the Gryffindor table. Harry was already on his way towards her. "Arcadia!" Harry said once he reached her. "Come on, you need breakfast and Ron's nearly ready to start hexing people."

"Potter." Malfoy came up then but Arcadia and Harry ignored him.

"How was your night? Did you have any nightmares?" Harry asked as they began to walk towards the Gryffindor table.

"Potter she's one of us now." Malfoy hissed then and Harry stopped.

Harry turned to Malfoy and then gave a short laugh. "So what if she is? She was my friend first." And with that he took her to the table where Ron and Hermione were waiting.

"Bloody Malfoy." Ron muttered as Arcadia settled into the seat next to Harry. "What was he trying to do?"

"Keep Arcadia to himself." Harry replied turning to Arcadia who was grabbing some oatmeal."So how was your first night?"

"It was alright. The girls are polite. They have already begun to teach me about Slytherin." Arcadia replied. "And no I didn't have nightmares." She added to Harry. "I slept fine."

"Prince." Arcadia turned and stared up at a tall man-Arcadia wondered if everyone was tall or if she was just short, she'd have to ask-with pale skin, curtains of sleek, black hair, a slightly large nose and eyes like a cold, starless night. "I am Severus Snape, the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin." The man's voice was smooth and deep. "Here is your schedule for the year. Professor McGonagall feels it would be prudent that after your lessons today, you come to me with your concerns, if any."

"Because you're my Head of House now." Arcadia said then and Snape nodded. She nodded in return and took the piece of stiff parchment on which was written her schedule. "I will instruct Loriet to bring you to my office after dinner." Arcadia nodded once more and turned to her friends as Snape headed to the head table.

"Greasy git." Ron muttered as he bit into some toast.

"He's horrible to anyone who isn't a Slytherin." Harry said, turning to Arcadia who was staring at her classes list. "You'll be alright."

"Stop feeding her your impressions of Snape." Hermione chided as she served Arcadia some juice. "He's not going to be mean to her." She added. "So what have you got today?" Hermione asked, changing the subject with a smile.

"Arithmancy and then Divination with the Ravenclaws." Arcadia replied, looking around the room then and tilting her head. "The blue and bronze." She said then.

"Right." Harry told her with a grin. "What about after lunch?"

"Care of Magical Creatures." Arcadia replied and giggled as Ron and Hermione grinned at her.

Harry gave her shoulder a pat, looking up as he felt eyes on them. Draco and another blonde girl were staring at him. Not glaring or sneering, but just staring. "Everything okay Harry?" Arcadia asked, looking up at him with her glassy doll eyes filled with worry. He pat her head then.

"Yeah, I just hope that I don't cause you any trouble with them." Harry said with a nod towards the Slytherins.

"I already told them, the rivalry between our houses won't change my mind about you, or Ron or Hermione." Arcadia told him with a smile. "I knew you first, and that makes you...special..." Arcadia turned away then, rubbing at her scars. Harry placed a hand over one.

"Did they ask about those?" He asked in a hush. Arcadia shook her head.

"They have not noticed them yet."

"What're you gonna say if they do?" Ron asked her then making Arcadia smile at him.

"I will lie...until I am ready to tell the truth." Arcadia murmured and finished her breakfast as the bell rang. "I ought to go now then...er..."

"Arcadia." Daphne Greengrass appeared at Arcadia's back then. She turned with surprise evident in her eyes. Daphne gave a little laugh then. "Come along then Arcadia, we'll be late to Arithmancy."

"Okay."

"See you at lunch Arcadia." Harry said as Ron and Hermione waved. Arcadia waved back and let Daphne lead her through the doors and up the marble staircase. As they reached the first floor Arcadia stopped to stare at the portraits.

"So many." She said when she caught Daphne smirking at her. "I've never seen so many."

"You really have been a sheltered girl haven't you?" Daphne asked as she continued to lead Arcadia through the hall and towards another set of stairs.

_In a sense. _Arcadia thought, following Daphne and stopping as Daphne stopped.

"See that step there?" Daphne asked while pointing to one four steps away. "It's a false step. You have to remember to jump it or else you'll sink through up to your chest. It's hard to get out on your own."

"I'll remember." Arcadia promised as they jumped it and then continued on their way to the third floor, reaching the Arithmancy class and stepping inside. Hermione was already there, settling into a seat and Arcadia smiled in return as the girl waved her over. Daphne followed her and the two joined Hermione at her table. Hermione looked at Daphne in surprise for a moment before choosing to simply let it be and smiling at Arcadia.

"I'm so glad we have this class together!" Hermione said then as they waited for their teached to arrive.

"Me too. Harry spoke so much about you that I am curious to know more." Arcadia replied and Hermione giggled kindly.

"He wouldn't stop talking to us about you last night. He kept worrying about you, you know."

"Did he now?" Daphne asked and Hermione frowned a little before nodding.

"Harry and Arcadia became very good friends." Hermione stated, looking at Arcadia who nodded.

"We did. He...understands how I'm feeling very easily."

Hermione's eyes flickered briefly to Arcadia's hands which were in her lap before she looked up and smiled kindly.

Professor Vector entered then and began the lesson. Arithmancy didn't involve much spells, which Arcadia was sort of grateful for. It was mostly a lecture that day on what Arithmancy consisted of and how their lessons would work. She would have to start practicing the spells from first and second year in private somewhere and catch up. She made a mental note to ask Hermione, who from the way she'd been able to answer the professor's questions today, seemed to be very knowledgeable.

After that Arcadia waved goodbye to Hermione and she and Daphne went up to the North Tower to Divination, which she had with only Daphne, Blaise and Draco. Sitting down in the room made Arcadia's head swim.

"Feeling alright?" Blaise questioned her as Arcadia put a hand on her forehead.

"The smell..." Arcadia said then. "It's strong."

Blaise nodded and took out his wand, waving it around and suddenly the air around their table was free of that stifling sickly perfume. Arcadia breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"It was affecting me as well." Blaise replied with a shrug. Arcadia looked around then as Trelawney spoke. Arcadia had to admit she was intriguied by the woman, who would pause every few sentences and speak to someone in their class. As they moved over to the shelves to collect a teacup for their first assignment she heard a small scoff and looks over to find Blaise standing beside her. "Right old fraud."

"Fraud?" Arcadia asked quietly as they moved over to join the line of people waiting for tea. Blaise nodded.

"My aunt Vivianna is a true Seer." Blaise said in a soft hush, his lips barely moving. "I am only taking Divination for her sake. She wishes me to acquaint myself with the study, even though I do not possess the Sight myself."

Arcadia followed him back to their table, thinking while they all drank the tea. She was starting to grow more curious about these people, the way they acted, the way they reacted. Arcadia had always been curious about people. Her mother's company was a wide variety of peoples and Arcadia had always hidden in the shadows when these strangers arrived. She would study them, and although always discouraged when she found out they were as bad as her mother, she would still study them all. She'd learned a person could learn a lot about another simply from how they interacted with their surroundings. She would put these observation skills to use here, with her new surroundings.

Once the teacup was drained Arcadia traded with Blaise and stared at the soggy contents. It took a moment for her to find shapes in the mess and she began searching through her book, trying to decipher the meanings of them all.

"You're in pain." Blaise said then and Arcadia gave a start, looking into his dark eyes as he met hers. "This shape, see?" He said then and showed her the picture of a lopsided heart which the textbook said meant 'a great, buried pain'.

"What's that?" Draco asked, turning away from Daphne's cup to peer into Arcadia's. His grey eyes flickered up to meet Arcadia's wide-eyed gaze then. "Do you have a great, buried pain?" He asked then. Arcadia pulled one of her hands to her chest in the old habit of comfort. "What else does her cup say?" Draco demanded to know. Blaise gave the cup a twist, studied the dregs, then consulted the book before looking up at Arcadia again.

"A key, meaning secrets or lies." Blaise stated blandly while his sharp eyes watched Arcadia's hand tighten on his cup. Twisting the cup again he paused for a moment before saying, "A feather, signifying freedom from some great burden."

"My cup is rather talkative." Arcadia said then before shutting her eyes and looking down at Blaise's cup. She could make out a lump that could be a ball or a rock for all she knew.

"Is it truthful?" Daphne asked then, looking shrewdly at Arcadia as the girl decided the lump was a rock and looked into the textbook.

"A rock, signifies you will be steady in a time of trail." Arcadia read aloud. She twisted the cup then as Blaise had done to her own and studied the shapes. "A hook, meaning you'll be caught in a tide of change." Arcadia blinked then laughed softly and looked up at Blaise who was gazing steadily at her. "Our cups are not very happy are they?"

Blaise gave her a frown then said, "A crossbones."

"And what does that mean?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

"I don't know." Blaise replied and his eyes shifted down to her hands. "I'm thinking you do however."

Before she could stop to think of it Arcadia let Blaise's cup drop as she hid her hands under the table. The cup hit the tabletop and bounced, landing on the floor with a tinkle of china that made Arcadia flinch.

"Everything alright dear?" Trelawney asked as she came over and held out a dustpan and small brush. Arcadia nodded, reaching to take the cleaning items and quickly clearing her mess.

"I am clumsy, forgive me Professor." Arcadia felt her lips quirk in irony as the old excuse slipped past her lips with ease. The professor however was much more forgiving than her Mother would ever be.

"Accidents do happen of course." Trelawney said. "Well then, I believe that is enough for today. We will continue during our next lesson. Class dismissed."

Arcadia hurried to pack up her things, whirling around only to find the Slytherins blocking her way. "What is it?" Arcadia asked after taking a deep breath and recalling the placid look that was often the best at keeping her mother from shouting at her.

Blaise let his eyes flicker from her face to her hands, which she was hiding in the flops of her robes. Then he flicked his head, his bangs sweeping to the side to reveal his smoldering, slanted, dark brown eyes.

"I noticed the night before that you seem to have a problem with your hands." Blaise stated and Arcadia took a step back, bowing her head as she clenched her hands into fists.

"My hands are fine Blaise. Now, can we please go?" Arcadia asked. Blaise scowled and made to grab one of her hands. Arcadia flinched violently, backing up quickly until she hit a table. "Don't!" Arcadia cried out, catching the attention of a few stragglers and Trelawney herself. "Just...don't..." Arcadia repeated.

A hand on her shoulder made her head snap up. Daphne was smiling enigmatically again but her eyes were alive with questions. "Very well Arcadia. We will leave the matter alone. For the moment. Now come, we have an outdoor lesson after lunch and it will be best if you have a filling meal before then."

The boys fell into step behind them and Arcadia had to shift her hands in front of her, making sure they stayed hidden in the folds of the school robes.

Harry waved as she entered the Great Hall again and Arcadia made to go to him when she felt a tug on her arm. Daphne was pulling her towards the Slytherin table. "We're having our class with him so just smile and wave." Daphne said. Arcadia sighed but gave Harry a smile and an apologetic nod towards Daphne. Harry scowled and made to get up from his seat but Arcadia held up a hand and flicked it in a calming motion. Harry relaxed as Arcadia gave him another smile and nodded. Sighing again Arcadia turned to face her fellow Slytherins and found them all watching her intently.

"What?" She asked as she sat down, keeping her hands out of sight.

"Nothing. We'll talk later in private." Draco said then, shooting the others a swift look which had them nodding and settling down to their meal. Arcadia frowned. It felt like she was being ordered around again. She hadn't realized how much she truly resented that until this moment. It felt like she was falling back into her old life, except with new faces.

"And if I don't want to talk?" Arcadia asked quietly, thinking no one would be listening to her.

"Then we won't force the issue. Much." It was Theodore Nott who spoke this time. But that wasn't why Arcadia's eyes widened and she looked up to find her fellow third years eyeing her curiously. "But eventually you must." Theodore continued. "We take care of our own Prince, you ought to start learning that right now. Whatever hurts one of us, hurts all of us."

The others were nodding and Arcadia felt a prickle in her eyes that had her hiding her face by looking down into her lap. "Is that really true?" She murmured, wishing it were Harry she were speaking to. Sweet and simple to understand Harry who just had this way of instilling her with comfort and confidence.

"Of course it is. Slytherins are always right." Pansy Parkinson said then in such a lofty tone that Arcadia couldn't help the twitch of her lips or the little bubble of laughter that made its way past her lips. Her eyes burned and she shut them, ignoring the wet somethings travelling down her cheeks. She rubbed at them in what she hoped was a natural way and finally looked up, only to find her plate piled with steamed vegetables, a buttered roll and a piece of oven-roasted chicken.

"That is another thing I must learn I suppose." Arcadia said then and picked up her fork to eat.

Once they finished lunch, Arcadia followed her housemates outside and paused on the steps to look around the grounds stretching out before her. She took in a lungful of fresh air before she snapped her eyes open and smiled.

"There you are!" Harry called as he, Ron and Hermione approached her. Arcadia smiled as they set off across the grass, the Gryffindors ignoring the looks the Slytherins were shooting at them. "How's it been so far?" Harry asked her.

"I've liked my classes so far. Arithmancy was a new experience. Divination...was surprising." Arcadia replied as her hands twitched. Arcadia turned to Hermione then. "I was surprised by how much you knew."

"Hermione can have a book memorized in two days." Ron said then with a roll of his eyes. "She's smart." He added with a bit of a grin. Arcadia giggled then.

"Erm...I just suddenly realized earlier that I might need help." Arcadia said, dropping her voice down to a whisper as they reached Hagrid's hut.

"Help? With what?" Ron asked while Harry shot a glare at the Slytherins. Arcadia put her hands up in a placating gesture and felt her face heat up again with a blush.

"Er well, so far we haven't had to do much magic." Arcadia whispered, feeling eyes on her back. "But what am I going to do when I have to use it?" She asked them, her eyes widening as she clasped her hands to her chest. "Before...you know, I only did magic in small bursts. I mostly just did it without thinking, and only when Mother couldn't see."

Hermione frowned thoughtfully for a moment before beaming and patting Arcadia's shoulders. "We'll help you work on your spells if you have trouble. But... When you said you did magic in small bursts, were they uncontrolled bursts?" Hermione asked studying Arcadia like she was a new spell. Arcadia thought about it then slowly shook her head.

"When I was little it was uncontrolled. But when I turned about eight or so I could do it more or less. It would go away and come back. One day I might be able to use it, one day I wouldn't. It got stronger over the years, and by the time I turned eleven I could use it all the time but not always control it the way I would want. It would sometimes be either too much or not enough." Arcadia felt herself blush as her Gryffindor friends gaped at her. "What?" She demanded shuffling under their stares. "Was that bad?"

"No, it's just incredible that you could do magic at all. Do you know how rare it is for wizards to be able to preform wandless magic or any sort?" Hermione questioned in a fascinated way that had Arcadia blushing more and trying not to grin.

"Er, really?" She asked then giggled when Ron let out a low whistle and Harry gave her a grin.

"Yes. But if you were able to do that without anything to focus your magic through then I'm sure you'll do fine in classes. But I'll still help you study everything you missed during first and second year." Hermione said then with a determined glint in her eyes that made Arcadia breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh look here comes Hagrid." Ron said then and they all turned to face the giant man.

Arcadia scooted over a little so that she was standing in between her housemates and the Gryffindors while cocking her head to the side to contemplative the largeness of the man before her. He looked like he could be a threat if angry, but at the moment he wore a look of such great personal contentment that she couldn't help smiling as well. Although large, he felt as kind as he looked. Arcadia knew what that felt like, thanks to Harry and his friends. Also it was so completely different from what she was used to feeling when forced into the company of her mother's guests.

Black beetle eyes crinkled as they looked over the gathered children and paused on her. "Well now yer new." Hagrid said.

"This is Arcadia Prince, Hagrid. She's our friend." Harry piped up then and Hagrid smiled while holding out a large hand to Arcadia who took it and shook it. His hand was so large that it completely enclosed her own small hand in rough warmth.

"Nice ter meet'cha Arcadia." Hagrid said. "Now," he continued to speak but to the rest of the class, "come on, got a great lesson for yeh today! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

As they walked forward Arcadia dug around in her bag and pulled out her Monster Book of Monsters. "Hey Arcadia," Arcadia turned and saw it was Goyle who was looking at the unbound book in her hands. "How come your book isn't snapping?" He asked holding up his own book which was growling and trying to through off the tie that was keeping it shut. Arcadia blinked blankly at him as they came to a stop and a few other students turned to watch the tall Goyle peering down narrowly at the little Arcadia.

"Well you have to stroke its spine Goyle." Arcadia said as she frowned, looking around at the other students who had pulled out their books when Hagrid said to. Happily Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't, thanks to Harry passing along the information Arcadia had given him. "They fall right open after that."

"How'd you know that?" Asked a boy loudly catching Hagrid's attention along with the rest of the class. He was a Gryffindor from the colors of his tie.

"My mother owns this book, she told me." Arcadia replied and Harry placed a hand on her shoulder as her eyes went dull for a moment before she blinked.

As the class began stroking the spines Hagrid sent Arcadia a crinkly eyed look that Arcadia interpreted as a smile before he spoke up once more. "Now yeh'll want to open up ter page one o' five." The growling of the books died down and the flicking of pages followed. "Why don' yeh take a look at that while I go and get the creatures."

Hagrid trotted off into the trees as Arcadia turned and leaned against the fence Hagrid had led them to. "Hippogriff." Arcadia said softly staring at the description under the title and the colorful depiction on the next page. "Hagrid is very nice." She muttered again.

"You need to get out of that habit of talking to yourself." Draco piped up then and Arcadia looked up to find him frowning at her.

"Shove off Malfoy." Harry scowled at the blonde boy who sneered at him. "Arcadia can do whatever she likes, whenever she likes."

"She's a Slytherin now Potter, which means she's got some rules to learn." Draco snapped back making Harry flush angrily.

"Listen Malfoy-!"

"Potter. Draco." It was Blaise who stepped up beside Draco now, but his eyes were focused on Arcadia, whose eyes had begun flickering nervously between Draco and Harry. "Listen Potter, we're only doing what we can to help Arcadia adjust to being in a school and a Slytherin. Although you and your friends don't seem to mind, that doesn't mean no one else will." Blaise turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione and gave them a small smirk. "You'll have to trust me when I say we're only looking out for our new housemate."

Arcadia took a deep breath, her head spinning. How could these people care so much about her already? Harry had been the one who had known her the longest but these Slytherins seemed to have already adopted Arcadia into their ranks.

"Besides Potter, you can't tell me that if the situations were reversed, you wouldn't be teaching Arcadia how Slytherins are untrustworthy snakes or some other such nonsense." Blaise added with a shark-like smile. Harry blinked in surprise but before he could reply, one of the students let out a squealed "Oh!"

Turning around Arcadia nearly dropped her book as Hagrid appeared leading not one Hippogriff but several on thick steal chains, all of which Hagrid had a secure looking hold off.

"Gee up, there!" Hagrid shouted happily as he led the creatures closer to the fence where the students all stood examining them. The hippogriffs had the fronts of giant eagles, and the backs of horses. Their bird beaks and talons looked deadly and their vivid orange eyes seemed to spear the students right through.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid exclaimed happily as he shook the creatures' leads while tying them to a fence post. "Beau'iful aren' they?"

Arcadia nodded as she shut her book and stowed it in her bag in favor of leaning against the fence. Animals of any sort had always given her a comfort but these beasts were magnificent in their strangeness and pure magicalness. She leaned on the fence, peering up at them and following the flow of feathers to hair and the different shades.

"So if yeh wan' ter come a bit closer..." Hagrid said and Arcadia happily climbed onto the bottomost wooden beam, grunting with the effort to pull herself up so that she was sort of hanging from the top of the fence. Hagrid grinned at her enthusiasm and gave her a pull so that she was actually sitting with her one foot dangling on either side.

"Arcadia!" Pansy whispered then and Arcadia turned to see that not only were the Slytherins looking at her with shock but so were the Gryffindors. Arcadia shrugged and turned back to paying attention to the hippogriffs and Hagrid.

"So firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud." Hagrid warned them as he pat on on the neck. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don' never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do." Arcadia nodded to show she was listening. "Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move." Hagrid continued to say while looking around at the students who were a few feet from the fence by now. "It's polite, see? yeh walk toward him and yeh bow an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish 'cause those talons hurt."

Hagrid cast his class on last serious look before his face split into a grin. "Right-who wants ter go first?" Arcadia lifted her hand above her head and Hagrid gave a delighted laugh. "Right then, come on over." Hagrid said as he undid on of the leads and led an inky black hippgriff to stand in front of Arcadia where she sat on the fence. Arcadia threw her leg over and dropped down inside the paddock.

"Easy now." Hagrid said in a quiet tone as Arcadia stood there awaiting instruction. "Yeh've got to keep eye contact. Don' blink. Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much."

Arcadia caught the hippogriff's eye and held it. It looked back at her with a sort of haughty indifference and stamped one of those sharp-taloned front feet. "Now bow." Hagrid said and Arcadia bowed, feeling a slight wave of memory try to press into the moment. She pushed it back. Now was not the time. After holding the bow a few short seconds she slowly rose back up and connected gazes with the hippogriff once more. It stamped its foot once more and Hagrid's face wrinkled into worry. "Ah...right...back away slowly-"

Arcadia didn't move though, keeping contact with the animal who after one last stamp of its foot dropped into a surprisingly graceful bow.

"Well done Arcadia." Hagrid cried as the hippogriff rose. "Right, yeh can touch him. Pat his beak, go on!"

"Arcadia!" Her name being hissed did not cause Arcadia pause as she walked forward slowly and began to pat the hippogriff's beak. The hippogriff closed its eyes then and Arcadia beamed at Hagrid who beamed back. Behind her she heard applause as she tentatively reached up to touch the creature's feathers. It made a sort of chirping sound.

"Does he have a name?" Arcadia asked, turning to look at Hagrid.

"Stareater." Hagrid replied cheerfully. "I reckon he might let yeh ride him!" Arcadia had only a moment to stare into Stareater's bright orange gaze before Hagrid was picking her up and setting her on the beast's back. "Yer a tiny one, aren' yeh?" Hagrid chuckled as he helped Arcadia get into proper position. "Mind yeh don't yank his feathers." Hagrid warned right before he slapped Stareater on the rump. Arcadia let out a squeal as Stareater let out a snort and took off at a run for the end of the paddock.

Then he gave a bumpy jump and Arcadia threw her arms around his neck, squealing louder as the wings flapped and she felt a rush of air blast her face. Pulling up she looked around and gasped as she saw the grounds of Hogwarts spread out below her. She couldn't tear her eyes away as Stareater dove, dipped and spiraled up before he turned his head and began to head back to the paddock.

The landing was a little rough and Arcadia bounced but she was laughing happily by the time Stareater had trotted back to Hagrid and the giant man was helping her off his back and onto her feet.

The rest of the class was inside the paddock now, practicing and Arcadia gave Stareater a final pat on his beak. The hippogriff gave her shoulder a nudge as she moved away from him towards the group of people looking at her with worry.

"Arcadia!" Angeline said as she checked the girl over with sharp eyes. "What were you doing! Do you have no sense of self-preservation?"

Arcadia laughed then, brightly and Harry couldn't help but stare at her eyes. They shined like stars and the flush on her cheeks made her look adorable. He flushed when he thought that.

The girl shook her head as she turned to stare at the beautiful Stareater. "I was perfectly safe Angeline. Nothing bad happened so why're you all looking at me like that?"

"Because you didn't seem properly terrified!" Millicent Bulstrode said now while casting Harry a glare, like it was his fault.

"Why should I have been?" She asked in true wonder.

"They looked so vicious! And Hagrid even warned us it could take a swipe at us!" Pansy was saying now.

"Arcadia's not scared of animals." Harry said finally, reaching up and patting Arcadia's head. "Isn't that right?"

"Mmhmm!" Arcadia gave another laugh before spreading her arms wide and remembering the feeling of soaring over the ground.

"We obviously have a lot to teach you." Draco muttered as Hagrid called Harry over to a hippogriff. "A lot. You need to have a proper value on your life for starters."

Arcadia shrugged and giggled. "I already knew I had a lot to learn." She told them while watching them move forward to work with the hippogriffs as well. "A lot to learn." She murmured as she looked down at her hands.

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_**Another never-ending chapter. I was trying to keep the chapters around 5000 words but...eh whatever works ne? ^^ Thanks for reading! **_


	6. Talking

**~Still Doll~**

**All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. **

**Thank you reviewers! I love that you love this story! ^^ Haha is it surprising that I keep posting a new chapter every day? Yeah I'm scared too. So let's enjoy it while it lasts ne? :)**

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**Chapter Six: Talking**

Arcadia gulped a little as she finished the last of her cherry pie and looked up to find Loriet standing there already. She was a little anxious actually.

"Don't worry, Snape's always good to the Slytherins." Hermione told her as Arcadia rose from her seat.

"We'll see you tomorrow okay?" Harry told her, reaching up to pat her arm. She nodded and then turned to Loriet who was smiling in that odd, knowing way.

"This way Prince." Loriet said as she led the way out of the Great Hall, towards the dungeons. Instead of going through the hall that would lead them to the common room, Loriet instead turned her down another hall and led her a short ways until they reached a dungeon door. Knocking they waited for a second then heard, "Enter."

Loriet opened the door and motioned for Arcadia to step inside. "Miss Prince, sir." Loriet said. Arcadia looked around the office. It was dark, with the main sources of light being a chandelier covered with about two dozen candles and the small fire in a corner. The furniture was black, and the floor was rough stone like the walls. Said walls were covered in shelves that held jars and boxes and books of all sorts. Arcadia felt comfortable enough. These were familiar sights to her. She could even name some of the specimens floating around in thick colorful gels.

Looking at the desk Arcadia was surprised to see McGongall and Dumbledore sitting in chairs on either side of Snape as well. She'd thought it would be simply Snape. Seeing three instead of the one expected one made Arcadia uneasy. She felt like she was being ganged up on.

"Thank you Miss Loriet, you may go." Dumbledore said then as he gave the prefect girl a smile. Loriet cast Arcadia a reassuring look then turned and left the office, shutting the door with an audible click. "Now then Miss Prince, have a seat and we'll begin." Dumbledore said, motioning to the chintz armchair that had suddenly materialized in front of the desk. Arcadia moved forward a little jerkily, like a puppet on strings to sit in the winged back chair. She bowed her head so that her bangs hid her eyes, and kept her hands hidden between her knees.

"Now Miss Prince, how was your first day?" Dumbledore continued to speak.

Arcadia relaxed a little. She knew eventually they'd be asking about her life before two weeks ago, but for the moment she figured it'd be okay to follow this line of questioning. "It was nice. I liked it very much. Though I do feel a little behind everyone else."

"Hmm, well your professors have not found anything to fault you with as of yet." Dumbledore replied with a chuckle, though his blue eyes took in the girl's small stature and slightly hunched over pose, as if she expected this to go unpleasantly. "In fact Hagrid was particurlarly impressed by your fearlessness to face the hippogriffs today."

Arcadia had to giggle a little at that, though she kept her eyes on her lap. "The hippogriffs were beautiful and they're easy to understand. I knew I'd be alright, so long as I listened to Professor Hagrid's instructions." Arcadia

A chuckle brought Arcadia's gaze up slightly to find McGonagall looking a tiny bit less stern. "According to Hagrid your housemates were not as assurred."

At that Arcadia had to giggle again. "Creatures are nothing to fear. I like them, magical and not." Arcadia chanced raising her head more and found Dumbledore and McGonagall giving her encouraging looks while Snape looked at her pensively.

"Even the deadly ones?" Dumbledore asked with a quirk of his lips and Arcadia began to speak before her mind produced an image of a Dementor.

"No." She said sharply, shaking her head to banish the images that the Dementor had conjured up. "There are some things...that just can't be liked." Arcadia murmured, dropping her eyes back to her lap.

"You certainly seem to be getting along with your new Slytherin housemates." McGonagall said then. Arcadia nodded.

"They're very patient with me." Arcadia replied.

"I am surprised that you have managed to remain friendly with Misters Potter and Weasley and Miss Granger." McGonagall said then and Arcadia braved another look at the woman's face.

"Harry and I became friends during our stay at the Leaky Cauldron. I...I never had a friend before. I won't let some silly rivalry make me lose the first ones I've made." Arcadia looked down at her hands then and felt an ancient resentment clawing its way up from the depths where she'd thrust it. "I won't let anything take them away." She said to the scars on her hands.

"And how have you found the castle?" The deep voice made Arcadia look up to make certain that, yes indeed, her Head of House was speaking.

"It's..." Arcadia finally lifted her head up fully as she pictured the view from above. "It's beautiful. Everything's so open and big and..." Arcadia felt herself blushing.

"And?" Dumbledore prompted.

Arcadia twined her fingers together then, playing with them a bit before letting herself say, "Free. I feel like I could...walk every inch...and never tire of it." Arcadia admitted while blushing brighter and hiding her face once more.

The professors looked at each other while examining the girl. At last Dumbledore turned to the real questions he wanted to ask. "Well now Arcadia, the reason that you came to our attention at all is that your name appeared on the list of new First Years, except you were marked as Late." Arcadia kept her head bowed but Dumbledore knew she was listening from the way she tensed. "There are few reasons why a student, who has had their name down for Hogwarts, would be late."

"My name was down for Hogwarts?" Arcadia asked timidly.

"Yes, meaning you were born in the UK." Dumbledore replied gently. Arcadia nodded.

"I knew I was. Born here I mean."

"Did you?"

"Yes. Mother...I found it in one of her papers once." Arcadia said and her head shifted to the side.

"Well now my dear, as I said, there are few reasons a student would appear marked Late. So we did some investigations and learned that you hadn't been in the UK at all until that moment. I also had Tom report to me when you arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and he reported you looked like you hadn't been properly cared for in a long time..."

Arcadia shut her eyes and raised her hands to cover her face. "Do we have to do this?" She whispered.

"I'm afraid we must." Dumbledore told her. Arcadia's body gave a single tremor but she neither spoke nor moved from her position. "We can go as slowly as you like." Dumbledore assured her. Arcadia twitched, jerking her head before finally lowering her hands and lifting her gaze. Dumbledore took in the pale complexion, and the set line of her lips before noting the dull, lifelessness that had overcome her eyes.

Arcadia had learned long ago that unpleasant experiences were a lot easier to deal with when she withdrew within herself. She was there still, and conscious of the goings on, but her emotions would shut done and she could grit her teeth and go through with the necessary motions.

Snape took a long look at his new student. For some reason, her motions made him think of a doll come to life. Especially with those blank, black eyes focused on them. She tilted her head to one side then, completeing the look. It was eerie, and yet what he expected.

"Ask your questions, professor." Arcadia said then, in a monotone that gave no warmth and no chill. Snape narrowed his eyes slightly.

Dumbledore saw that McGonagall and Snape were a little distressed by the girl's sudden change, but Dumbledore had known enough children like Arcadia that it merely reinforced his suspicions instead of disturbed him as much as it did the other two. He did feel his heart squeeze in sympathy though and that caused him to clear his throat.

"I would like to know exactly what led to your sudden appearance in Little Whinging." Dumbledore said then.

Arcadia took a deep breath then let it out before speaking. "Mother killed someone." She said it as emotionlessly as she could but her hands clenched anyway. "Right in front of me."

"Do you know who?" McGonagall asked steadily.

A blink, followed by a shake of her head, and Arcadia replied, "No. Mother only ever called him Mouse."

"You have seen this man before?"

"Yes. He brought Mother supplies."

"Supplies?" Snape asked then.

"Yes. Dead things mostly. Things mother couldn't get from the market." Arcadia jerked then, her hand going up to her temple. "She blasted him right here." She stated then.

Dumbledore shared a look with Severus who frowned. "Are you saying your mother was buying illegal items?" Dumbledore asked the girl.

"Buying. Selling. Creating." Arcadia shuddered then, unable to keep the images from coming up for a second. She managed to push them back though and returned to her creepy, doll-like stillness.

"Was your mother a Dark Witch?" Dumbledore asked then and Arcadia gave a single nod.

"Mother was Dark. A bad witch. Cruel." Arcadia's hands twitched again.

Dumbledore sighed soundlessly before standing up and moving so that he stood in front of the girl now. "Was she cruel to you?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"Yes." Arcadia whispered, with a touch of emotion back in her tone.

"What did she do?" Dumbledore asked and Arcadia gave a shake of her head now. "She cannot hurt you now my dear." Dumbledore murmured softly. "You are here, in Hogwarts, in safety."

Arcadia stared at him with her dull gaze and asked, "Am I really safe? What if she finds me?"

"I will not allow that to happen." Dumbledore promised as he kneeled in front of her now. "But I must know what she has done."

Arcadia twitched then closed her eyes. "I...I was unwanted. Mother hated me. Ever since I can remember...I've been her slave..."

"Did she harm you?" Dumbledore paused when Arcadia gave a violent shudder and pulled her hands up to her chest. He noticed then, the scars marring the backs of her hands. "She did." Dumbledore answered himself.

"She would hit, when something was not done right or on time." Arcadia jumped at the sound of her own voice, surprised. She had thought talking about this, no matter how little details she gave, would be difficult. But that old resentment, that swirling cloud of anger and hatred she had always hidden away, was pushing the words up. Along with the resentment though, came the fear and the sadness, the misery and the pain. The memories she had struggled to keep under were now knocking incessantly at the back of her mind.

"She would scream." Arcadia continued to say while closing her eyes. "She would...she would..." Arcadia opened her eyes and stared at the backs of her hands.

"How did you get these?" Dumbledore asked, reaching out to touch one. Arcadia flinched away, holding her hands to her chest.

"Mother...would use my blood...for potions..." Arcadia whispered as quietly as she could. "She would heal the cuts. But after a while...the marks stayed." Arcadia added in the same small voice. "They stayed." She repeated and shuddered.

Dumbledore stood up and sighed as he reached out to pat Arcadia's head. She shivered but didn't move away. Dumbledore wondered if that was something she'd been punished for before.

"No one noticed?" McGonagall asked then and Arcadia opened her eyes to find the Transfiguration teacher looking indignant and upset.

"Mother kept me inside. No one knew." Arcadia shivered. It felt so bizzare, so frightening, to be revealing her history to these strangers. These adults who were forcing her to speak. McGonagall was looking at her with pity. She hated the pity. Pity didn't take away her nightmares or her pain. It only made her feel worse. She turned and found Snape's black eyes focused sharply on her. There was no pity in his eyes, or any other sort of emotion other than understanding. Arcadia found herself relaxing a little bit. The man understood...

"What about your mother's guests?" McGonagall said.

Arcadia shook her head. "Mother told them I was a servant. They never asked too much, they didn't care. They were as Dark as she was..."

Dumbledore let silence fall then and stopped McGonagall's other questions with a single stare. He let Arcadia recover a few minutes before asking, "And your father? Why were you not with him?"

"I don't know." Arcadia replied. "Mother would never speak of Father. Only to curse him whenever I made her very angry."

"You know nothing of him?" Dumbledore asked gently. Arcadia shook her head more.

"Mother once told me, he died. When I was two. That it was my fault." Arcadia gave a short gasp then before shaking again. "Everything was my fault..."

"Shh my dear, nothing was your fault." Dumbledore assured her while patting her head.

"Mother said I had family here, once." Arcadia whispered then, looking up into Dumbledore's blue eyes. "When she was really, really angry...she tossed me away...and I lay there and she was shouting, 'I should have left you in London with _them'_. I remembered that." Arcadia said with a very faint twist of her lips that could be a smile.

Dumbledore pat her head once more then nodded. "So that is why your magic brought you to England. Though I wonder why it brought you to Surrey of all places."

Arcadia shook her head. "I do not know. I just remember...running...and thinking...'I want to find Them' and running more, and then the feeling like I was being squeezed..." Arcadia sighed heavily. "I was so tired...after I landed...that I just...fell over." Arcadia gave a small chuckle then. "But...I was happy. I wasn't there anymore. I was here. I was happy."

Dumbledore met her eyes then. "And you will continue to be happy my dear. Rest assured, from this day forth you will be safe. You need not worry about anyone bringing you to harm ever again."

Arcadia wondered if that was true, if she could trust these adults. Looking from Dumbledore to McGonagall, left her unsure.

But she looked into Snape's eyes, and they were still shining with understanding. He gave her a very tiny nod, barely a movement of his head, but it was enough.

At the very least, her Head of House understood. That was enough for her to try to trust them. Just a little.

"Thank you." She said after a few minutes of silence. "Thank you." Her eyes prickled but she did not want to cry in front of them. She held them in. Her pillow would welcome them later.

* * *

Arcadia had a nightmare. She saw her Mother, coming at her with a broomstick, shouting about Arcadia's audacity to run away. In her nightmare Arcadia shouted back, as loudly as she had never dared in real life for fear of worse punishment.

She felt hands on her shoulder then, and heard a voice saying her name. Her mother never said her name if she could help it. Arcadia thought-with a faint sort of detachment as she jerked back into the world of the living-that the only reason she even knew her name was thanks to that one day when she'd been tasked with filing her mother's papers and come across her birth certificate among the pile.

Of course her mother had to walk in just as she was about to discover the name of her father and then burn the piece of paper right before Arcadia's eyes.

"Arcadia!" The hand on her shoulder gave a hard shake and she blinked, waking up the rest of the way. She turned and found Daphne staring at her with wide green eyes. "Arcadia, what is it! What were you dreaming?"

Arcadia shook her head, putting a hand to her mouth as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. "It was...more memory than dream..." Arcadia replied as she lay back on her bed and looked up to find not just her fellow third year girls, but a few older looking girls as well, and Prefect Loriet. "I...I woke you all up?" She asked feeling some residule fear at being punished for that.

"Yes, but that's alright. You can't help it when you have nightmares." Loriet said patiently as she came up beside Daphne and pulled a vial from her pajama pocket. Arcadia stared at the purple liquid, trying to identify it. "It's called Dreamless Sleep." Loriet explained and Arcadia blinked as she sat up and took the vial. "It does exactly what it says. Now be a good girl and drink it up. We have another busy day tomorrow. Can't have you falling asleep in classes."

Arcadia uncorked the vial and did as she was told, feeling her limbs grow limp almost immediately. She lay back down and Loriet took the vial and cork. Arcadia sighed sleepily. "Good people..." Arcadia muttered before falling back under, leaving her housemates to smile and smirk and head back to their own beds after casting her small glances to reassure themselves she was alright now.

* * *

_Meet me out by the Greenhouses when you can manage it. _

Arcadia stared at the note, making sure to keep it away from the prying eyes of Daphne and Draco. In the last four days, they had become her constant shadows, along with Blaise. Although Arcadia had started interacting more with their third year housemates, those three were the ones who mainly focused on her aside from Harry, Ron and Hermione, who kidnapped her from the Slytherins at every possible moment.

Thursday had dawned without any hint of anything out of the ordinary happening. Arcadia had been expecting to go to Potions-which she was slightly dreading- then to DADA followed by a visit with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They'd promised to take her to the Gryffindor common room and catch up.

But now she saw the familiar scribble and folded the note, holding it tight in her hand.

"What was that?" Daphne asked, trying to get the note from Arcadia.

"Just a little reminder. From the professors." Arcadia replied, the lie flowing easily from her lips. "We didn't get around to discussing where I'd stay this summer." Which was true, they hadn't, but the professors hadn't brought it up either.

"Oh." Daphne said, with a look that said she wasn't convinced. Arcadia didn't care at the moment.

She hadn't seen or heard from Sirius in days and she was starting to really worry.

_During dinner...that should make it easy... _Arcadia thought to herself as she waved to Harry when he entered the Great Hall. He waved back and smiled before going to his own table.

A half hour later found her walking into the dungeon classroom along with her fellow Slytherins. Arcadia looked up to find Professor Snape standing behind his desk, eyeing them all as they filed in and set up their cauldrons. His eyes fastened on her as she settled down in a seat next to Draco. One of his black eyebrows rose when Harry took the seat on the other side of her. _Now this is bound to prove amusing. _

"Sod off Potter." Draco hissed when Harry joined their table. Harry ignored him, instead turning to Arcadia.

"Morning Arcadia." He said with a bright smile.

"Morning Harry." Arcadia replied, eyeing her cauldron with some trepidation. Draco noticed her look as well and softened his tone as he addressed it.

"Do you not like Potions Arcadia?" He asked, making Harry blink. He hadn't thought Malfoy capable of seeing Arcadia's nerves.

Arcadia took a deep breath and gave a little shiver before answering. "It's not that. I just..." Her left hand unconsciously moved over her right, her fingers stroking the marks. Draco followed the motion and gasped sharply as he thought of all the awful connotations that action could hold.

"We will be making Shrinking Solutions." Snape's voice cut over the low hum of chatter and Arcadia snapped to attention as Snape waved his wand at the board. Instructions appeared and she let her eyes flicker over them carefully. "Begin."

"I don't have some of those ingredients." Arcadia murmured while following Harry's motions and starting the fire under his cauldron. She grinned as a flame came to life.

Draco chuckled a little at her joyful expression. "The ones we don't have are usually in the Student Cupboard, over there." Draco pointed over there then got up. "Come on then." He said and Arcadia got up, along with Harry, to get their needed ingredients. As they were walking back Draco scowled as Harry placed a hand on Arcadia's arm. "Potter, she's not made of glass." Draco hissed at him.

Harry scowled right back while Arcadia looked between the two thoughtfully. "Yes but she's not made of ice either." Harry sneered at Draco before turning to Arcadia with a slight grin. "You'll do fine, just follow the instructions." Harry promised her. Draco snorted at the irony.

"You're one to talk Potter." Draco said while eyeing the water in his cauldron. It was almost at a simmer. "Considering you can't produce a half-decent potion to save your life."

"Shut up Malfoy." Harry snapped back. Arcadia sighed then giggled lightly while adding the dash of leech juice the instructions called for. "I'd do better if Snape wasn't such a git." Harry added with a curl of his lip.

"Is he really so mean?" Arcadia asked then, making both boys jump. She wasn't looking at either of them, but carefully chopping up her daisy roots.

"Only to idiots." Draco replied while smirking at Harry. "And especially to idiot Gryffindors."

"I'm warning you Malfoy, if you don't shut up I'll-"

"Is there a problem?" Snape's deep voice made Arcadia jump as she turned to look over her shoulder at him.

"No, sir." Harry and Draco replied. Snape's eyes went from Harry to Draco then came back over to rest on Arcadia who was staring at his shoulder. "How are you faring Miss Prince?"

"Alright sir. It's not as hard as I thought. It's kind of like cooking." Arcadia winced then, sure the professor would reprimand her for saying something so foolish. But he merely gave a soft breath that could have been a chuckle and turned away. Arcadia turned back to her roots, blinking.

Harry and Draco did the same, and for a few minutes there was silence while they chopped, skinned, sliced and measured ingredients, adding them to the cauldron when the instructions called for.

Arcadia checked her potion then, a smiling twitching on her lips when she saw her potion was bright, acid green just like it said on the board. Harry's was a little dull but it was close enough, and Draco's looked very much like Arcadia's. Snape was sweeping between the rows, checking everyone's cauldrons. As he did so, the boy in front of them turned.

"Hey Harry," the boy said, leaning over as if to borrow Harry's scales, "did you hear? In the Prophet this morning-they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted?"

"Where?" Harry asked quickly, eyes narrowing.

"Not too far from here." Said the boy looking excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. Course she didn't really understand, so she called the Muggle hotline and by the time the Ministry got there he was gone..."

"Not too far from here..." Harry repeated, looking over to find Arcadia staring at her cauldron with a dull look in her eye. He reached over and pat her head. "It's alright. Black can't get into the school grounds." Harry told her softly, ignoring Draco's swift glance at them. "You're safe here." He promised her and Arcadia nodded at last. She jerked in surprise when they heard Snape berating Neville about the color of his potion. Arcadia watched that too with a dull eye, the back of her mind filled with such sights as she finally blinked and looked away.

"Would I have been in trouble...if I hadn't been Sorted into Slytherin?" Arcadia wondered aloud, looking at her lap and frowning.

"Miss Prince?" Head coming up, she met Snape's eye briefly then directed her gaze to his ear. "Your potion is nearly perfect."

Arcadia felt a wash of heat on her cheeks and a smile tugged on her lips. She looked down at her cauldron, at the potion stewing within. She'd never gotten sincere praise before. It...it felt nice.

Snape watched Arcadia smile and blush, then he cast a nod at Draco and a small sneer at Harry's potion before moving away, thinking about the girl who acted as if she were invisible half the time. He knew what that was like, and it made him angry to think Dumbledore wasn't doing that much really. He'd left Arcadia alone, let her fall back into her silence and her defensive walls. But what people like Arcadia needed was for the walls to be stripped away and for them to be forced to talk, or else the memories and emotions would surely drown them with time.

People like Arcadia needed someone who understood and would listen, and who would talk in turn.

At the end of the lesson Snape tested Longbottom's potion and Arcadia gulped, keeping her fingers crossed as she watched the toad become a tadpole. Letting out a breath of relief, she frowned when Snape took five points from Gryffindor.

She was starting to feel awfully glad she was a Slytherin.

* * *

After lunch Arcadia grinned and walked with a slight skip in her step.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts next." Draco said while Daphne and Blaise joined him on one side, and Harry, Ron and Hermione fell in on Arcadia's other side. She giggled a little as they all glared at each other before smiling.

"I think I'll like that class very much." Arcadia informed them all, leading the way to the marble staircase. "I just hope...I don't...mess up."

"Only Snape yells when you mess up." Ron informed her with a scowl at the Slytherins. "I'm sure Lupin'll be alright."

Draco scoffed then. "He looks like a homeless Muggle, I doubt he'll be any good."

"But Professor Lupin helped me on the train." Arcadia spoke up then, turning to Draco with a frown. "When the Dementor..." Arcadia paused on the step, shaking her head to banish the memories in her mind. "He helped me out then...so that means you ought to give him the benefit of the doubt, no?" She asked while smiling lightly and continuing to follow them up the stairs.

"Arcadia makes a good point." Blaise said with a chuckle.

They reached the classroom but Professor Lupin wasn't there. When he finally did arrive, he smiled and told them to pack up their things before leading them up towards the staffroom. On the way they met with Peeves and Arcadia watched with a laugh as Professor Lupin made gum shoot up Peeves's nose.

When they finally reached the staffroom it was to find Snape in there. The Potions professor stood up and looked around the class, sneering at Longbottom as he said, "And what do we have here?"

"Practical lesson." Lupin replied turning to the class and motioning them to follow him towards an old wardrobe. It rattled and shook. Lupin saw some of the startled looked and said, "Nothing to worry about. There's a boggart in there."

"Boggart." Arcadia repeated quietly, taking a step back so that Harry and Draco were slightly in front of her.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces." Lupin was saying now. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, cupboards-I've even met one that lodged itself inside a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice."

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione's hand flew up and Arcadia took another small step back only to feel herself step on someone. Turning she spotted Snape standing behind her. "Miss Prince seems to know." Snape called, startling the others in class who had thought he left the room. Arcadia felt herself stiffen a little as Lupin turned to her.

"Yes Arcadia?" Lupin asked and Arcadia wondered why he addressed her by first name before speaking.

"Boggarts are shape-shifters sir. They can and do take the shape of whatever scares their victim the most." Arcadia dropped her eyes to the floor then.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Lupin praised, making Arcadia raise her head a little. Lupin continued to explain while Arcadia felt Snape's presence looming behind her. She kept her hands in her robe pockets, eyes focused on the wardrobe that continued to creak, rattle and shake.

"Prince." Snape's voice was soft and Arcadia turned her head slightly while listening to Harry answer Lupin's question. "I am tired of seeing Granger praised. If you have knowledge, as I believe you do from you preformance in Potions, then I suggest you begin to show her up some."

"Hermione's my friend sir." Arcadia replied as Lupin continued to speak.

"Have you not noticed that Granger does not care whether one is friend or not when she answers?" Snape replied silkily. Arcadia turned to face him then and met his gaze fully with a frown on her face. "You are no idiot Prince. You would not be in Slytherin otherwise." Snape said, giving her a slight glare.

"Riddikulus." Arcadia said then along with the rest of her class, her lips twitching slightly at how appropriate that sounded for the conversation she was having with her Head of House.

Snape gave her a small smirk of his own before touching her shoulder and pushing slightly to get her to face Lupin.

"Good, very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough." Lupin let his eyes scan over the crowd. "Now then...hmm yes let's have you all form a single file line. When the boggart bursts out of the wardrobe it will assume the shape of the frightening thing of the first person in line...which looks like Neville." Lupin said as the students pushed and shoved and somehow poor Neville ended up in the front of the line. Lupin went over to him and they had a short conversation, in which Neville's eyes, round with surprise and fright already, flickered to Snape who was by the wall now, his eyes focused on Arcadia.

"But-" Neville called as Lupin walked back to stand by the wardrobe.

"It'll be fine. Just do as I say. Now class, everyone focus on the thing which frightens you the most." Lupin called to them as they stood in line. "And once you have decided on that, think of ways in which to make it less terrifying for you. When your turn comes to face the boggart it will assume the shape of your worst fear. When that happens, I want you to focus on the way to make it less frightening, less intimidating, and say Riddikulus while concentrating on that with all your might. Remember, laughter is what truly finishes a boggart off. Are we clear?"

The students all nodded and focused on their task. Arcadia felt herself wanting to run away. She feared her mother most of all. She hated and feared her. The boggart would change into the woman and Arcadia couldn't for the life of her, think of a way to make her mother, the centerpiece of all her nightmares and fears, into something less frightening.

"I can't do this." Arcadia murmured, sure everyone was too intent to hear her.

"Do not let her win." Snape's voice in her ear nearly made her cry out in shock. She barely managed to stay in place in line, instead of falling over in surprised fright. Meeting her professor's inky gaze Arcadia reminded herself that he understood her fears better than maybe even Harry did. "Focus." He added before backing away back to the wall.

It began then. The students before Arcadia would face the boggart. Neville's was Professor Snape, who was then forced into women's clothing. Arcadia couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Then came a Gryffindor named Parvati with a mummy. Followed by the boy from Potions, Seamus, who had a banshee as his worst fear. Then Arcadia lost track of who was who as she found herself getting closer and closer to the boggart.

And for the life of her, how on earth was she supposed to think of how to make the boggart into something funny? Snape seemed to think she could but he was an adult, no matter how understanding. And adults had always wanted too much from her anyway, thinking that she should be able to just because they wanted her too.

Then there was only one person in front of her; Ron with his giant hairy spider. He shouted "Riddikulus!" and the spider was suddenly slipping on roller skates.

Ron whipped away with a grin at her as he stepped to the side. The spider's eyes focused on Arcadia and she felt her lungs freeze over as it shifted into a tall, dark haired woman with porcelain skin and narrow, brown eyes. Arcadia supposed her mother was pretty, when she wasn't shouting or beheading something. Her robes were tight on the torso and flared out at her hips. They were black and covered in odd stains. Arcadia felt herself waver as those cold brown eyes turned and faced her.

"Girl...you've done it now..." The woman's voice grated on Arcadia's ears as she swayed and brought her wand up. The boggart-woman laughed. "So you got yourself a wand. Fat lot of good it will do you." Arcadia couldn't remember the spell. "I knew it. You can't do anything right at all can you?" _What was it?_ "So worthless." _Come on, think_! "Are you going to just stand there like a useless lump!" _She's getting angry._ "Well!" _Do something_! "Answer me girl!"

Arcadia saw the boggart-woman raise her arm, and her eyes flashed, and Arcadia wondered what she was doing here, why was she pointing a silly stick in her Mother's face? The woman advanced and her features twisted, her lips became a snarl, her eyes turned bloodred, and Arcadia knew she was in for it now.

_But I'm free now. _Arcadia thought as she stared at the boggart-woman. "No." Arcadia whispered and she waved her wand. "Riddikulus!" The woman gave a shriek and shrunk down into a little piglet. Arcadia gave a small laugh then she turned. The class was staring at her then at the piglet on the floor. Arcadia didn't fault them for not knowing how to react. She took a step, then paused. "Damn." She whispered as her legs completely gave out and she fell to the ground, crumpled up like a marionette without strings.

_But I'm free now_. Arcadia reminded herself as she shut her eyes and rested.

* * *

She woke up to find herself being stared at by Snape. Frowning she muttered, "That was your fault."

"Perhaps." Snape replied as helped her sit up. Arcadia pouted, rubbing at her eyes and looking around. They were in a long room with several beds against the walls and a witch stood by with a tray and a worried frown. Sighing she rubbed at her forehead. "What happened?"

"I brought you here after you fainted. Lupin continued his lesson I suppose." Snape replied with a small shrug that Arcadia figured she wasn't supposed to see. The witch came up then and Arcadia recognized her as the nurse from the first night. Pomfrey.

"You say she passed out after dealing with a boggart?" Pomfrey asked Snape, putting down her tray and pouring some thick concoction onto a big spoon.

"Yes. She doesn't need that Poppy." Snape added while recieveing a hard look from the woman. Arcadia groaned and then sighed.

"Everyone saw me faint." She muttered, pulling her legs up to her chest and sighing again. "What a way...to let them see..." Arcadia turned to Snape then and pouted again. "I thought you understood." She muttered while looking down at her sheets.

"I understand plenty Prince." Snape replied while waving away the nurse. Pomfrey backed off but hovered nearby by pretending to fluff pillows and fix bedsheets. "I understand that you just faced down your mother." Snape said so quietly that Arcadia wondered if he'd said it at all. Then she gave a snort and shook her head. "The fact that she was a boggart does not diminish that feat."

"I couldn't have done it to the real one." Arcadia murmured, picking at the bedsheet and focusing on the threads she pulled out. "I knew it was a fake."

"Then why the hesitation?" Snape asked, determined to make this child speak, lest she fall into the silence others were allowing her to fall into. Snape knew it was hard to speak with so much silence putting pressure on a person to keep quiet.

Arcadia kept her fingers to the task, making a hold in the sheets and not caring if she was punished for it. Punishments were easier to understand. Easier to handle. There was no wary looks or coddling or some other such foreign notion like those that her friends and the professors aside from Snape were holding out to her. She had been taking care of herself essentially for her entire life. She could remember devising ways to sneak meals, of where to hide when her mother was angry so as not to become the target, how to tend the garden so that things blossomed, how to save a little piece of herself even as the rest was erroded away...

"Because your fear is great and will not lesson in a period of three weeks." Snape said, eyeing Arcadia's hand as it stilled in its movements. "Because although you wish you could be like all the others, you know you will not. Because you wish you had the strength to face your true monster, and not just a copy." Snape leaned in a little and whispered, "Because you are afraid."

Arcadia lifted her head and nodded slowly, her eyes holding that lifeless quality that had disturbed Severus when he first saw it. "I'm afraid." Arcadia replied and shut her eyes. "But I wasn't with..." Arcadia gasped then and looked around, peering out the window. "What time is it?"

"Dinner hour." Snape replied and Arcadia jumped out of bed.

"I'll be alright." Arcadia said as Pomfrey opened her mouth and waved over her shoulder then dashed away, leaving Snape staring after her with a puzzled look in his eyes.

Arcadia ran all the way to the entrance hall then paused, sticking close to the walls and feeling happy that the school robes were black. She opened the front doors the littlest bit she could then stepped outside, turning in the direction of the greenhouses.

Once she got close to them she spotted a blob of dark fur waiting there and sped up, dropping down and startling the dog who snarled for a half-second before it gave a soft bark. It then stood and trotted over to a greenhouse door, which was cracked open. Arcadia nodded and opened the door, walking inside and staring around at all the plants. By the time she turned back around, Sirius Black was sitting on a stool, grinning a little in the twilight.

"Well look at you kiddo." Sirius said as Arcadia took a seat next to him and they both watched a fly get snatched out of the air by a humming plant. "So last time we couldn't really talk but I'm sure you'll be alright now."

Arcadia nodded. "I can lie if anyone asks too many things." Arcadia sighed then, dropping her head on the table. "I've been lying a lot, it feels like."

"Why's that?" Sirius asked her, laying his head down as well so that she was forced to look at him. She gave him a tiny grin before letting herself sigh heavily.

"Everyone is so...cheerful...and kind to me...and it worries me...that they think I can't handle myself." Arcadia frowned then. "Actually it makes me...mad sometimes. Harry is so nice but, he keeps acting like I'll break if he lets me do too much. And the Slytherins are very patient-"

"Whoa, wait, what? Slytherins?" Sirius asked, sitting up in his surprise. Arcadia sat up as well and tugged on her tie.

"I got Sorted into Slytherin. The hat said...Slytherin would help me...get the things I wanted." Arcadia tugged on a piece of her hair then. "Do you not like me now?" She asked when the silence had gone on for a minute or so.

Sirius shook his head, then gave a jump and waved his hands in front of him. "It's not that, I just don't see how you ended up there of all places." Sirius chuckled. "Can't be helped I guess though, the hat knows best." Arcadia relaxed again. "So they're treating you right, those Slytherins?"

"Mmhm. Prefect Loriet makes sure I have a vial of Dreamless Sleep by my beside, in case of nightmares, and Daphne, Pansy, Millicent, and Angeline have been telling me all about Hogwarts. Daphne and Draco and Blaise stay close to me when we're in classes that I don't share with Harry, Ron and Hermione." Arcadia paused, blinking as she stared at Sirius who was grinning. "Why do I do that?" She wondered as she frowned at Sirius.

"Do what?" Sirius asked, liking how animated Arcadia's eyes were. They still seemed so doll-like but they held much more emotion and warmth in them now.

"Talk to you. Like I've known you. But I haven't. I can't talk like this to anybody. Not to the Slytherins or Harry or Professor Snape-"

"Snape?" Sirius asked then, tone and expression very fierce. Arcadia blinked then nodded.

"He's Slytherin's Head of House and he teaches Potions." Arcadia played with her fingers then, running them over her hands. "He's understanding but I can't talk to him like I talk to you. Why though? What makes you special?" Arcadia turned and stared at Sirius. Sirius chuckled and shrugged.

"Maybe its because I was the first good person you met?" He wondered with a bark of laughter following up that statement.

"No. That's not why." Arcadia said slowly, her eyes moving over the sunken eyes and messy hair down to the skinny frame from which the robes hung. "No, that's not it at all."

"Then what is it?"

Arcadia frowned and puzzled over that for a few minutes, twining and untwining her fingers while Sirius just watched her.

"I think it's because you saw me even when I was weak." Arcadia said at long last, looking up through the glass roof to the stars shining above them. "You saw me just laying there...and you helped me anyway." Arcadia fidgetted before adding. "Mother always told me no one would ever care about me...because I was weak and useless." Looking up at Sirius Arcadia could give the man a genuine smile as she tipped her head to the side. "But you proved her wrong. Thank you."

Sirius reached over and put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair a little. "And you proved your mother wrong you know. Someone who was weak and useless, wouldn't have been able to do what you did."

Arcadia smiled again and then shut her eyes, bowing her head. She felt Sirius's hand on her head still and it was nice to simply sit there for a moment.

Then his hand moved away and she opened her eyes. "I don't like it Sirius. The ones who don't understand...they make me talk too much sometimes." Arcadia pouted then, feeling very safe in the company of the supposed murderer. It didn't bother her if he was or wasn't. He was kind to her, and he didn't press, which made her like him even more.

"Tell them to shove it." Sirius suggested and grinned when Arcadia giggled. "You'll talk when you're ready. Tell them that the next time they start hounding you for information. When you're ready, you'll speak."

"Is that why you don't pry?"

"Yeah." Sirius winked at her then and pat her head. "I can tell, you're not really sure of yourself yet. You have your doubts and your worries. I would too if I went through half the things you did." Sirius picked up one of her hands and stared at the scar. "So I know its best if I just let you take your time and say all you want to say when you want to say it." Sirius smiled then.

"And what should I do, when they act like I'm fragile?" Arcadia asked, staring at her hand as Sirius let it go and it dropped down to join the other in her lap.

"You show them you're not of course." Sirius replied with a cock of his head. "You survived hell, a few teenagers shouldn't be any trouble after that."

Arcadia looked at him in surprise then she smiled again and nodded. "Right. I did survive it. Even though it hurts...and I get scared..."

"Even with all that, you're still free." Sirius said then and Arcadia saw the reason she trusted Sirius so blossom into her mind. Sirius had been through his own kind of hell, and he was free from it too now. That thought, it gave her a lot of strength.

"Because _we're _free." Arcadia replied, taking Sirius's hand and giving it a pat like Harry often did to her. "I'm just scared, that if I say too much or share too much, that the people will stop being kind to me."

"If they do, then they weren't worth the bother in the first place." Sirius promised her. Arcadia sighed with relief then and nodded, enjoying the simple silence that came around them then. "You'd better get back inside doll, before they notice you're missing." Sirius said after a while.

Arcadia heard the nickname, but let it go. "When can we talk again?" Arcadia asked him as he rose to his feet and stretched. "I should bring you food." She added when his shirt rose and she noticed he was way too skinny.

"Food would be great doll." Sirius said with a grin. "And I'll be right here next week, same time." Sirius told her before turning into a dog and wagging his tail. Arcadia pat his head then stepped out of the greenhouse, letting Sirius lead the way to the front doors, through which she slipped easily. She reached the marble staircase just as a great flood of people came out.

"Arcadia! There you are!" Harry called as he, Ron and Hermione joined her on the staircase. "Where were you?"

"Just walking." Arcadia replied as she let Harry take her hand and begin to lead her upstairs. "What time is it?"

"Nearly eight." Hermione replied. "That gives us about an hour before you have to leave."

"Let's go then." Arcadia said, feeling much better than she had in days. Talking to Sirius was obviously a good thing.

Now if only everyone who didn't understand would stop prying, she'd feel even better. She had her secrets, dark and buried, and she wanted them to stay that way for a little while longer.

* * *

_**Haha! Now this was a never-ending chapter. I didn't even realize how long it was until I finished and saved it. Hehe. Oh well. Have fun! Happy Fourth of July! **_


	7. Hope and Dashing

**~Still Doll~**

_All characters and situations belonging to HP belong to J.K. Rowling. I own only this plot and any OCs. _

_I love this story, it's just so easy to write for. :) And now we're gonna fast forward a little, no one minds right? ^^._

**Also...yeah umm there's this one review I woke up to this lovely day and while I love reviews... I deleted this persons's review but I gotta say... First off I really don't know the meaning of Mary-Sue. Seriously. Secondly, if you don't like how it's going, DON'T READ IT****. And trust me, if you can find so many things going wrong with my story then YOU DON'T LIKE IT. To the reviewer who wrote that tiresomely long effing review about HOW AND WHY my story could go and is wrong, thanks for reading but keep it to yourself. You don't know where the effing story is GOING yet either so why're you making so many assumptions! Oh and by the by it's a FANFICTION! The characters are going to be a little outta whack cuz like I stated above, I aint JK Rowling! **

_To my other readers, sorry for the rant but honestly, if someone don't know what's gonna happen yet, why is that person anticipating the worst?_** Or _still reading _**_for that matter? I want my story read by people who **enjoy it**, not by people who are just trying to find all the bad stuff in it. I can handle **constructive criticism** just fine, but holy mother of cheese whiz that reviewer just ticked me off! _

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Hope and Dashing**

Arcadia's life fell into a routine. Every day there was a class to go to, something to be learned and seen and studied. Meal times were split between Gryffindor and Slytherin table. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Daphne and Blaise became her constant companions, though she still couldn't make them spend time together outside of classrooms.

Every Thursday she'd find a way to ditch her new friends, by claiming to need some time alone or wanting to explore the castle. Then she would find a way to escape out to the greenhouses where Sirius would be waiting.

Thanks to Daphne, Arcadia had found a way to give Sirius some good food. She'd brought up the fact that there was a stray dog near the castle and said she worried it wasn't finding food.

"Well point it out to a house-elf and it'll feed him no doubt." Daphne had said while they prepared for bed one night. "Call for one now and tell it where you usually see the dog."

So Arcadia had done so and now Sirius got two meals a day. No Muggle dog food but good and wholesome food which the house-elf had insisted on.

September went by in this fashion, and every day she awoke in her own warm bed, with kind looks from the other girls and the promise of something new waiting in their classrooms, Arcadia was able to get more and more of a voice for herself.

Sirius would always remind her that she had the right to tell people to piss off. It helped her, having at least one adult she could fully trust.

October was on them before Arcadia knew it, making her smile a little. Time flew by so quickly when she was focused on learning and getting to know people.

"It's gone by so quick." Arcadia said to Harry one evening while they worked in the library. Ron was trying to get through his History of Magic essay and Hermione was doing her Muggle Studies work. They looked up when Arcadia spoke making Arcadia smile a bit. She'd learned a bit about Ron and Hermione in the month that'd gone by.

Hermione was studious, reluctant to break rules, sometimes bossy, sometimes clueless. But she was steady and strong, able to handle having two boys for best friends and keep them in line, able to deal with the ups and downs that came from always having the right answers. Although smart as a cookie, Hermione could be a smidge too clinical. She was in her element during a hard quiz but put her in an average teenage girl's emotional drama and Hermione would grow frustrated.

Ron was a bit thick, reluctant to do homework, sometimes rude, sometimes prejudiced. He was good where it counted though, and even if his sense of right and wrong could be a bit skewed, he knew there were times when the usual rules didn't apply. He was brilliant at chess, according to Harry and Hermione, which made Arcadia wonder why he was so cruddy at homework, since it showed he was capable of reasoning.

In spite of their different personalities, they all managed to remain friends, which was a mystery to Arcadia at times. Especially during the times she'd be allowed to go to Gryffindor tower and was witness to a row between Ron and Hermione.

"How can they still be friends?" Arcadia had asked Harry one morning during breakfast, where Hermione was lecturing Ron about not paying attention in class although she was looking over his work. "They were really angry with each other just last night."

"They've always been like that." Harry had replied with a fond smile at his friends. "When you're _real _friends, you just learn to live with the other person's quirks. I can have a right temper sometimes, and usually I've led them into some pretty bad situations, but they forgive me and put up with me." Harry shrugged and patted her hand. It had become Harry's habit to pat her hand or shoulder or head sometimes. Arcadia couldn't figure out why but the gesture didn't bother her. It just made her feel like he was making sure she was still there. Thinking of it that way made Arcadia happy.

* * *

"I have to what?" Arcadia asked Snape. It was October thirteenth, an ordinary enough day. The Potions class had gone well. Arcadia had been very pleased when Snape had used her potion for demonstrating the effects of the Chameleon Concoction, which made the drinker change colors and blend into the scenery. Nifty for when magic was unable to be used. Snape had held her back afterwards, waving her friends off with a scowl on his face. They'd left while shooting looks over their shoulders and muttering in the Gryffindors' case.

"The Headmaster has asked that you visit him after dinner." Snape repeated, a little twitch in his eyebrow that Arcadia had noticed would happen whenever he was annoyed. He probably didn't like repeating himself...

"But why sir?" Arcadia asked, frowning now. It was easier to frown every day, and to express her dislike of something without worrying about what people would say. Sirius had said it would be okay. "Have I done anything wrong?"

"No Prince, the Headmaster said he merely wishes to chat." Snape let his lip curl a little then. Arcadia crossed her arms and frowned more.

"Do I have to go?" She asked Snape. Of all her professors, her Head of House was quickly becoming the easiest to read. McGonagall was nice but tried too hard to be completely fair to everyone. The other professors didn't have as good a handle on the students. Trelawney for example, was often the butt of many a joke in Slytherin. Snape though was steady, constant, and whenever Arcadia had a moment of indecision, of hesitation due to a memory, she'd find Snape looking at her with that understanding look.

"The Headmaster wishes to begin trying to discover the whereabouts of your family." Snape said then and Arcadia paused. Since their talk during her first week of school, Arcadia hadn't given that much thought. She'd just pushed it all away, intent on finding herself a niche in the school where she could feel comfortable.

"Do you really think he can find them?" Arcadia asked while rubbing at her hands. Her habits hadn't changed as much as her attitude during the past month and a half.

"If anyone can, it will be Dumbledore." Snape replied.

Arcadia rubbed at her scar then, tracing the shape twice before saying, "Fine, I'll go. But that's all I want to talk about." To her surprise, Snape chuckled. She didn't see him do it, since his back was turned to her, but it sure as hell wasn't her laughing.

"Off to lunch now Prince." Snape said, turning back with a neutral expression. Arcadia nodded and moved through the classroom and up the stairs, thinking back on her last conversation with Sirius.

He never pried or pressed about her past, and anything he'd learned since they met was due to Arcadia's trust in him. He never actively sought out the details though. Arcadia liked that the best about chats with Sirius.

Harry never pried either, which was why Arcadia clung to him like a lifeline sometimes as she struggled to find a balance between her past and present. They would sit in the library or at the Gryffindor table at mealtimes or in front of the fire of Gryffindor common room, and talk about other things. Harry would listen and offer soft comfort and share a little about his own experiences when she would share with him.

Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Daphne were warm and welcoming, constantly there. But they were part of the group of people who just didn't understand. They didn't understand that maybe Arcadia wasn't ready to speak to them. They didn't understand that Arcadia was still frightened she'd awaken to find herself in her mother's clutches once more. They didn't understand and would sometimes poke too much.

Blaise, surprisingly, was very calm and Arcadia began to feel calm around him. He would speak of simple things, and would gladly teach her things she didn't understand or know. The night before had been spent discussing purebloods and their thoughts on halfbloods and muggleborns. Arcadia had listened, fascinated, as Blaise had explained about the ancient days, when pureblood made you nobility, when muggleborns were not a majority but an anamoly, when halfbloods were looked on with some prejudice. Those stories had sounded like fairy tales to Arcadia, who had dreamt oddly pleasant dreams due to the words in her head.

But it had brought about an interesting question. Arcadia wondered what she was. Her mother had been pureblood, or at least close enough to it that she had been disgusted by Mudbloods. But her father was a mystery to Arcadia and she wondered what he had been. He had to be at least a halfblood, considering her mother's attitude towards muggleborns.

"...cadia... Arcadia!"

Arcadia jerked out of her thoughts to find herself sitting at the Slytherin table, with Draco Malfoy waving a hand in her face.

"Finally!" Draco said, sitting back down and smirking. "You've been sitting there for two minutes!"

Arcadia felt herself blush a little and rubbed her forehead. "Sorry about that...I was thinking."

"About what?" Daphne wondered now while handing Arcadia a goblet of juice. The girl sighed and shook her head. There Daphne went, prying again. Why were the kids her age just so eager to ask questions?

"Leave it." Blaise said as Daphne prepared to ask again. "If it were of importance, Arcadia would speak up."

She sent him a grateful smile before cutting into her steak, letting herself stare at her food distantly while wondering how in the world Dumbledore would even begin to hunt her relatives down. All they had to go by was her surname and the fact that she knew she'd been born in England.

And there were some more questions. Why did her mother keep the name given to her by her father? Why not change it? Why not lie? Why did her mother keep her at all? Out of spite? Out of convenience? Out of some unfathomable convoluted reason?

There were too many whys and not enough becauses for Arcadia's peace of mind.

Hopefully Dumbledore would help her start to piece everything together.

* * *

The gargoyle that guarded the way to the headmaster's office was easy enough to spot in this hall. She stood in front of it now and frowned. How exactly was she supposed to go in? There was probably a password but no one had given it to her...

"Blood Pops." Jumping, Arcadia turned and found the headmaster smiling benignly down at her. She smiled back-something that was also becoming easier-and watched as the gargoyle turned away, revealing a spiraling staircase. "Shall we?" Dumbledore asked. Arcadia nodded and hopped onto a step, then made sure to stay away from the edges as they revolved slowly up to an oak door with a griffin shaped brass knocker. Dumbledore opened the door and Arcadia followed.

The room was circular, with an amazing view of the grounds. The walls were covered in portraits of other wizards and witches, snoozing and snoring in their painted chairs. All around there were little tables with little silver items that puffed and smoked and whistled and whirred. There was a large desk on which were books, letters, and a throne-like chair sat behind it, waiting for its occupant.

A musical sound was heard then and Arcadia turned, wondering if the headmaster had a radio and found instead a beautiful phoenix with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage. Its eyes were black and shiny.

"His name is Fawkes." Dumbledore told her as he settled into his chair and motioned for Arcadia to take her seat.

"He's beautiful." Arcadia replied giving Fawkes another long look before turning and sitting down across from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore arranged some letters and books off to the side then smiled once more. "Well now my dear, I promised you all the aid possible and I shall begin to hold myself to that promise. Now, you said you were born here in England."

"That's what I've been told." Arcadia replied.

"Hmm yes well that's a very good start. It would help if I knew your mother's name."

"Dianthe." Arcadia said after a moment's pause. "Her guests would only ever call her Dianthe. I'm not sure on her surname..."

"That's alright Arcadia." Dumbledore chuckled then. "It shouldn't be so hard, considering the name Arcadia is a rare one. Now then, is there anything else you remember? These family members your mother mentioned, was it anything specific. An aunt, a cousin, a sibling of hers?"

Arcadia thought back, frowning and shaking her head at last. "No sir. She just said Them."

Dumbledore nodded and scribbled on some parchment before staring at Arcadia thoughtfully. Arcadia stared around at the portraits, reading the nameplates and realizing they were old headmasters and headmistresses.

"Why are you so certain your father gave you the name Arcadia?" Dumbledore asked then. Arcadia paused then, staring at a little silver teapot that was letting out purple smoke rings from its spout.

"Well...Mother said it was Father's choice. And what Mr. Ollivander said just seemed to prove it." Arcadia said turning to Dumbledore. "Arcadia is a place of peace and contentment, is what he said. My mother never seemed to be peaceful or content with me around so..." Arcadia gave a shrug and frowned at the desk now.

"Did your mother or any of her guests ever address you by any other name?"

Arcadia thought back. Ignoring the more painful memories, Arcadia couldn't honestly remember anyone ever calling her by any other name. They'd call her Girl and Child but never a real name. She shook her head.

"Is there anything else that you might recall about the other family your mother mentioned?"

"No sir. Not that I can remember." Arcadia told him with a sigh.

Dumbledore nodded, giving her an encouraging look. "It's a start my dear, which is more than what we had before. You may go now, I'll contact you if I come up with anything."

Arcadia nodded, gave the headmaster a faint smile, and left to head down to the dungeons.

There was hope. A little tiny piece of hope but it was there.

* * *

On Halloween, Arcadia awoke and blinked, staring at the ceiling for a moment before yawning and smiling.

Halloween had always been a good day, even in the past. Her mother would always celebrate out with friends, which meant Arcadia had the house to herself. True she often had a million chores to do while her mother was gone, but any form of respite from the shouting and the dirty looks was better than nothing. Arcadia had looked forward to the holidays, because they would be her brief moments of peace.

As she got dressed and ready for the day, Arcadia thought back and felt as if she were looking into a dream world. Hogwarts and the life she led within it was worlds away from the life under her mother's thumb.

With her mother, there had been chores, and shouting, and the occasional slap if she ruined something her mother considered important. There were those days when Arcadia would be forced to hold her hands over a bubbling cauldron because one of her mother's potions recipes called for a certain number of drops of 'innocent blood'. There was the rare occasions when Arcadia would be the guinea pig for a potion. That was life under her mother's rule.

At Hogwarts, she never had chores. She never had to fear being slapped for some trangression. She never was shouted at. Her blood was never needed for potions and she was never the guinea pig. Here she had friends, adults who would get annoyed but never shout, people to talk to about silly, mundane things. She could eat whatever she liked, she could say whatever popped into her head, she was paid attention to.

Though sometimes she did miss the quiet moments of peace, when she didn't have to say anything and no one expected anything out of her.

"Hogsmeade trip today." Draco called as the girls joined the boys in the Slytherin common room.

"Excellent, I've been dying of boredom." Pansy stated.

"Hogsmeade. Hermione and Ron brought it up." Arcadia said then.

"Are you allowed to go?" Millicent asked while stretching and yawning.

"I...didn't ask." Arcadia admitted.

"Well you should go and ask Professor Snape." Theodore told her, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "He's usually in his office by now." Theodore added, checking his watch.

Arcadia thought about it for a second then nodded, getting up and heading towards the door.

She was halfway to Snape's office when she noticed she had company. It was Blaise and Arcadia relaxed. "Keeping an eye on me?" She asked as they made their way through the winding paths.

"Yes. Not that you need it." Blaise replied. Arcadia chuckled then.

"Why then?"

"I've been reading tea leaves." Blaise told her with a smirk before they stopped in front of Snape's door. Arcadia knocked and waited for the "Enter" that came a second later. Blaise leaned against the wall in the corridor, letting Arcadia go on her own inside.

Snape was drinking tea and looking over some papers. From the amount of red marks, Arcadia thought they must be first year papers. He looked up briefly then looked back down. "Yes Prince?"

"It's about the Hogsmeade trip today professor." Arcadia began. Snape looked up at her then. "I was wondering if I was allowed to go."

Snape thought it over for a few minutes, while Arcadia took in the odd jars lining the walls. "I do not see anything against that."

Arcadia grinned then. "Thank you professor!" She turned and hurried out to the corridor where Blaise was already grinning.

"Let's go and tell everyone then." Blaise said leading her up to the Great Hall.

Spotting Harry, Arcadia waved to Blaise and hurried over to the Gryffindor table. "Professor Snape said I could go to the village!" Arcadia told her friends as she sat down beside them.

"Really? That's wonderful Arcadia!" Hermione stated.

"Yeah, we'll get to explore the whole place!" Ron said around a mouthful of eggs.

Arcadia turned to Harry who was trying to smile. She stopped grinning then. "Harry, you didn't get permission?"

Harry shook his head. "McGonagall said the rules were the rules and that since she wasn't my legal guardian, she couldn't legally give me permission." Harry let a scowl cross his face then.

"Then why could Professor Snape give me permission?"

"Normal rules don't really apply to you, do they?" Ron asked while shoveling some sausage in his mouth. Arcadia frowned at that. It was true, normal rules didn't really apply did they?

"Would you like me to stay here Harry?" Arcadia asked him then.

Harry gave a jolt, then shook his head quickly. He managed a real smile then. "Go have fun Arcadia. Don't worry about me. I'll find something to do."

Arcadia highly doubted that. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Harry replied with a chuckle. "Really don't worry."

Still not convinced, but wanting to go out to the village, Arcadia gave him a pat on the arm and then proceeded to try and cheer him up some.

* * *

It was as they were just entering the village that Arcadia felt something tug on her cloak. Squeaking, she turned and looked around, her eyes landing on a big, black, bear-like dog. Grinning she dropped onto the hard ground and pat his head.

"Is that the stray?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, this is him." Arcadia replied. "Haha, you felt like following me today?" She asked and the dog barked happily, wagging his tail. "Well come on then, I think you and I could both use the exercise."

Hogsmeade was wonderful. Small and quaint, with shops that were filled to bursting with magical items. Honeydukes was by far her favorite stop. Seeing so many sweets nearly made her drool. She got a little bit of everything, thinking of sharing with Harry later. Sirius stayed by her side the entire time, nudging her from time to time and helping her find things she'd missed.

From Honeydukes they went to Zonko's then up to the post office. From there they went over to the Shrieking Shack and Arcadia stared up at the old house in wonder. Sirius was soon enough nudging her away from the shack and back towards the village.

In Dervish and Bangs Arcadia found curious sorts of instruments for everything from detecting untrustworthy wizards to finding clean socks. In a tiny shop called Bane's Bizzare Pets Arcadia saw more strange magical creatures than the ones in the menagerie in Diagon Alley. While looking at a tank with a two-headed snake the wizard who ran the store came up to her.

"Haha like the reptiles do you?" He asked while tapping the glass. The two-headed snake lifted its head and hissed while eyeing the wizard with some distaste.

"They're all very fun to look at." Arcadia replied as she felt Sirius nudging her leg. "What now?" She asked with a laugh, looking down at him. The wizard looked down as well.

"He yours?" The wizard asked, moving towards a corner of the shop where he had the acessories displayed.

"Er...yes..." Arcadia replied, thinking the wizard was going to ask her to put him out. Instead the man waved her over then waved at his display.

"Well lookit these. Collars with a spell to find your pet if it ever goes missing, or invisible which is just as frustrating. Leashes that will stretch or shrink to the length you want. Biscuits, training books, I've got pretty much all you need."

Arcadia looked down at Sirius then laughed and picked up a bright green collar. "What d'you think? Want a collar?"

Sirius gave her a look then let out a loud snuffling noise while putting a paw to his nose. Arcadia laughed again.

"Ah he's a wild one is he?" The wizard asked.

"He was a stray I found." Arcadia replied while patting Sirius's head.

"All the more reason to put a collar on him. Strays like running wild and that way at least you'll be able to keep an eye on him."

Arcadia chuckled as Sirius's ears flattened on his head and he gave Arcadia a puppy-dog look.

"I don't think I need to worry about losing him. Thank you though." Arcadia replied as Sirius began nudging her towards the door. The wizard chuckled as he watched Arcadia swat lightly at the dog's ear and leave his shop.

"There you are." Draco huffed as he spotted Arcadia coming out of the pet shop. "You should tell us before you just disappear like that Arcadia."

"Leave her be Draco." Blaise said with a smirk. "She's a Slytherin after all. She can care for herself for a few minutes I'm sure."

"More than a few minutes." Arcadia muttered while the boys led her to the Three Broomsticks. Stepping inside was nice after spending so much time in the chilly autumn weather.

It was as they were sitting down that Arcadia felt it. The sensation of being watched. She ignored it, thinking she was just starting to feel tired. But the sensation persisted and at last she turned her head slightly to look around.

Sitting at a table near the counter was a man. The man was of average height, with pure white hair and a slightly age-lined face. His eyes were sharp and clear however, and a merciless shade of gold. Arcadia felt recognition click in her mind as she recalled that face and those eyes.

"Dashing." Arcadia whispered, immediately regretting it as the man's lips curled back into a smile. Oh dear sweet...

"Arcadia?" Pansy asked as Arcadia rose from her seat so quickly it clattered to the ground. Arcadia however had her eyes focused on the man. "Arcadia, what's the matter?"

_Run, run, run, hide, hide, hide! _Arcadia's intincts were screaming. So she did was she normally did. She listened. She caught a glimpse of the man rising from his seat before she fully turned and was rushing out the door, Sirius hot on her heels. Arcadia's lungs were burning by the time she reached the gates but that didn't stop her.

It wasn't until she was safe within the entrance hall that she stopped running. Dropping onto a step on the marble staircase, Arcadia sucked in fresh air and clutched at the stitch in her side. A yelp escaped her lips when she felt a wet nose on her arm. "Sirius!" Arcadia gasped in relief before slapping a hand to her mouth and looking around to make sure no one had heard her. Sirius sat before her, snuffling and whining slightly as she continued to catch her breath.

"We need...to talk to Harry." Arcadia decided once she could breathe somewhat normally. "Come on!" Arcadia called as she jumped up and began running up the stairs. Sirius followed, keeping up easily enough as they ran through corridors and up moving staircases. They were just running up a hall on the third floor when the door opened and Arcadia slid to a stop, her feet thunking against the wood as she steadied herself.

"Prince?" Snape asked then as he peeked around the door at whatever had thumped against it.

"Professor!" Arcadia gasped, once again out of breath. She took a few lungfuls of air and looked around as she heard more footsteps. Professor Lupin and Harry appeared then.

"Arcadia!" Harry cried as he took in her winded look and huffing breaths. "What is it? Did something happen?" He asked while going over and placing a hand on her arm. She did the same to him, nodding and shaking her head before giving up explaining until her heartrate had settled some. It took a minute or so but at last she could speak normally.

"I saw someone in the Three Broomsticks." Arcadia told them, looking from the professors to Harry. "A man who would visit Mother all the time." Arcadia added and heard Harry curse under his breath. Snape and Lupin also looked at her with worry as she leaned against the wall.

"Who is that man?" Snape asked her.

"Dashing. His name's Dashing. At least, that's what Mother would call him." Arcadia replied shaking her head.

"How did he know your mother?" Lupin piped up then and Arcadia shuddered.

"He liked buying her potions." Arcadia replied. "He would custom order once a month. He was one of her more frequent guests." Arcadia shivered now and wrapped her arms around herself. "And now he's seen me. He'll tell Mother, I just know it." Her hands moved up to her chest and she shivered some more. "Why now? Everything was going so well..."

Harry pat her arms and back while looking at his new friend helplessly.

"I will report this to Dumbledore at once. Until then, you will remain in the castle." Snape said suddenly. Arcadia nodded, shuddering.

"If Dashing is out there, then I don't want to leave the castle." Arcadia murmured.

"Why's that?" Harry asked her.

Arcadia took a few seconds to reply. "Because Dashing...is a vampire." She said at last.

Harry felt his jaw drop as he met Arcadia's glassy eyes. "Bloody hell, really?" Harry asked her then. Arcadia nodded.

"Yes. He liked showing me his fangs when I was younger, to scare me." Arcadia shuddered violently then. "Mother would threaten to let him feed from me when she was in a particularly foul mood." Arcadia added in a harsh whisper.

Harry stared from Arcadia to the professors who were conversing in whispers now. Arcadia looked up as well then shook her head and leaned into Harry. "Mother will find me Harry."

"No she won't." Harry's voice had a sharp bite in it that had Arcadia blinking at him. His eyes flashed and grew darker as he took her hand in his own. "She won't." Harry whispered and squeezed her hand.

"She won't." Arcadia repeated and let a great breath of relief flow from her lips. "She won't."

* * *

_**Sorry for not having another never-ending chappy for you guys but that review put a damper on my happy mood. Hope this is still up to par though! ^^. **_


	8. Stabs and Theories

**~Still Doll~**

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**Thankie to my reviewers LAG and Sam, cuz that cheered me right up today! ^^ I'm happy you liked the chapter. Oh and as to where Sirius went...you'll see ;). **

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Stabs and Theories **

It took a few more minutes but Arcadia finally managed to relax. Snape ordered Harry to take Arcadia to the Gryffindor common room as he whisked away with Lupin towards Dumbledore's office.

"The dog." Arcadia said suddenly, looking around the ground and finding Sirius coming out from behind a tapestry. Harry gaped at the dog for a second then shook his head. "C'mere. Let's go to the tower." Arcadia called and the dog walked right over, eyeing Harry and baring his teeth.

"Arcadia...is that the dog who was in the alley?' Harry asked while leading her by the hand up to Gryffindor.

Arcadia looked back over her shoulder at Sirius who was looking around at the portraits with a slight hop in his step. "It would be funny if it was, wouldn't it?" Arcadia asked him with a slight grin. The grin was short-lived but Harry was just glad Arcadia wasn't going into shock or anything. She just kept glancing out every window they passed, as if expecting someone to be there.

"Fortuna Major." Harry said as they reached the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open and Harry led Arcadia over to the chair closest to the fire. The dog followed and curled up beside her legs, whining and looking at Harry as if he were the reason Arcadia was fidgetting so much.

Sirius looked around the common room, seeing all the small first and second years, taking in the colors of fire and gold and warmth that he remembered from his childhood. It felt odd being back in the place, in the dog form he had hidden during his own time as a student. He kept glancing at Harry too, to catch those green eyes and remind himself that it was Harry and not James. The nostalgia was making him mix the two at the moment.

Harry ignored the dog and sat in front of Arcadia. "Do you need anything Arcadia?"

"I'm...okay now Harry. It just...scared me." Arcadia whispered as she sat there staring into the fire. "What was Dashing doing here? And better yet, why didn't he just snatch me while I was on the road back to the gates? He's a vampire, he's got speed and strength and sheer age on me. He could have easily caught me, don't you think?" Arcadia met his green gaze with her own troubled obsidian eyes. "Why didn't he?"

Harry thought about that as Arcadia lapsed into silence.

"Where'd you find him?" came a squeaky voice and both teens jumped, turning to find Colin Creevey with his camera firmly in his grasp. Harry was about to tell Colin that it wasn't a good time when Arcadia spoke up.

"Outside on the grounds." Arcadia replied as she leaned down to pat Sirius's head. Sirius looked up then and snuffled.

"What's his name?" One of Colin's friends asked.

"Er...I haven't really thought of one yet." Arcadia replied gently. Harry smiled then. Arcadia was dealing with that chance encounter very well. It wasn't until he caught her eye that he saw all the worries and slight fear she was repressing at the moment.

"He looks dirty." One girl said and Arcadia laughed.

"Well he's probably been sleeping in the woods." Arcadia told them making them grin. "He does look like he could use a bath though, doesn't he?"

The second years nodded while Harry relaxed into his seat and watched Arcadia carefully.

"Can we pet him?" Someone asked. Arcadia looked down at Sirius who gave a little woof making Arcadia grin.

"Sure, go ahead." She said and Harry wondered why mirth filled her eyes then.

The second years began to pet, scratch, and coo over the dog, who rolled over onto his back and stuck his tongue out. Sirius in fact was amused and annoyed. He was sure Arcadia had said they could on purpose, just to be a pain. Still he found himself inwardly chuckling at that and continuing to play up the dog act.

"Ew he does need a bath!" One of the girls said after they'd gotten their fill. "Look!" And she held up her dirtied fingers as proof.

Arcadia laughed then turned to the floor. "Caffy." She called clearly. A second later a house-elf appeared, startling some of the younger years and Harry. "Caffy, can you make sure my dog gets bathed and eats?" Arcadia asked, turning to Sirius. The house-elf bowed and nodded, ears flapping.

"Caffy be doing that Miss Prince!" The elf replied. "Here doggy doggy! Caffy will wash you good!" Caffy promised. Sirius wuffed again but went over to the house-elf who gave Arcadia another bow then grabbed onto Sirius's fur and cracked away.

"I didn't know there were house-elves here." Harry said at last. Arcadia grinned a little.

"The Slytherins did." She added and there was just a hint of teasing in her tone. Harry gave her a look then stuck his tongue out at her. She did the same right back. Her eyes sparkled with laughter for a few seconds then the worry and fear came back, dimming the light. Harry reached over and took her hand in his own, patting it and smiling encouragingly.

"You'll be safe here. I can protect you." Harry promised softly. Arcadia smiled then and squeezed his hand in her own.

"I'll be safe." She repeated, shutting her eyes and sinking into the armchair and trying to calm her nervous thoughts.

Ron and Hermione returned soon afterwards, ready to tell Harry Arcadia had gone missing, only to find the two sitting at a chess board, playing in front of the fire.

"Arcadia!" Ron and Hermione called, running over to the girl who gave them a soft smile. "Malfoy and Zabini were tearing the village up looking for you!" Hermione informed them as the two Gryffindors began to relax, seeing their friend was unharmed. "They said you ran out of the pub like the hounds of hell were after you!"

"Relax, calm down." Arcadia said first, motioning for them to take a seat on a couch and let them catch their breaths. Once they had Arcadia relayed the story she'd told Harry and the professors. By the time she'd finished it was time to start heading down to the feast.

"So that Dashing guy's a vampire...and he might tell your mum where you are?" Ron asked as they followed the crowd to the Great Hall.

"I don't know. He probably might. Dashing likes knowing things. And likes giving information for something in return." Arcadia murmured.

Hermione shook her head then. "You're safe inside the castle Arcadia. Trust me. More than walls guard Hogwarts. A vampire wouldn't be allowed in without permission from Dumbledore for starters. Plus those Dementors wouldn't let him pass either."

Arcadia nodded, feeling much safer under the warm, bright lights of Hogwarts.

"Did anything happen with you Harry?" Ron asked then as they waited for the staircase they were on to shift onto a landing.

Harry then told them about his visit with Lupin and Snape's entry with a smoking goblet. They were reaching the Great Hall as he finished.

"Lupin drank it?" Ron asked, mouth gaping. "Is he mad?"

"But if he-you know-was trying to-to poison Lupin-he wouldn't've done it in front of Harry."

"Yeah maybe." Harry replied looking over as Arcadia was ambushed.

"Where the bloody hell did you go?" Draco was demanding to know. Arcadia was blinking at him then shaking her head.

"I came right back here. I just didn't feel so good." Arcadia told them all. Harry could tell from the looks the Slytherins exchanged that they didn't believe a word of that.

Blaise strode over and placed a hand on Arcadia's shoulder. "Alright. That's fine then. Come on, time for the feast."

Arcadia turned to Harry who nodded and waved, making her smile and followed her fellow Slytherins to their table.

The feast passed by pleasantly enough and Arcadia was surprised by how much she ate. Being terrified must have increased her appetite, she thought wryly. The ghostly entertainment that followed had even her forgetting about her near brush with disaster and she got up from the table feeling full and relaxed.

She waved good night to Harry and the others then followed the Slytherins back down to the dungeons. She jumped when she felt something grab her sleeve and looked down to find a somewhat fluffy Sirius there. "There you are. Caffy did a good job washing you up." She added while petting his head.

"Is that the same mutt from before?" Draco asked, peering at the dog.

Arcadia nodded. "I called Caffy once we got back inside for something to make me feel better and then asked her to take care of him."

They had reached the common room by then. "Orion." Blaise said to the wall and Arcadia made sure Sirius was by her side as they all settled down in the common room. Arcadia curled up on a large green cushion, laying in front of the fire and absently petting Sirius's back while the others chatted and told her of how they'd searched the village for nearly an hour before a shopkeep had told them she had seen Arcadia running towards the castle. She was just getting a lecture about just running off when the entrance to the common room opened and they all stared in some surprise at Snape as he swept inside.

"Everyone, to the Great Hall. Now." His tone left no room for questioning as he touched his wand to the dorm doors and soon the others who had gone to bed were hurrying up join the rest of their house as they moved back through the dungeons and up into the Great Hall to find the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and a moment later the Hufflepuffs were joining them. Arcadia hurried to Harry's side. "What's going on?" She asked as Dumbledore began giving instructions.

"Sirius Black tried to get into our common room." Harry replied tersely. Arcadia gasped, her hand going to Harry's. He shook his head as the sleeping bags appeared. "Stay close, alright?" Harry asked her then and Arcadia nodded, grabbing a sleeping bag and pulling it to a corner with Harry, Ron and Hermione. A second later Blaise appeared and laid out beside Arcadia without a word to the Gryffindors.

Sirius laid himself at Arcadia's side, making sure to keep out of sight of the professors.

Arcadia lay on her back, her eyes flickering to Sirius every so often while Harry whispered to her the details. Sirius shifted a few times but remained calm for the most part.

It wasn't until Dumbledore himself appeared that Arcadia worried for her friend. While pretending to be shifting sleepily she draped the top of her sleeping bag over most of Sirius's body, so that only his snout and rear end stuck out. Dumbledore was checking in the Percy very close to them. Arcadia worried somehow that Dumbledore would hear her pounding heart and somehow would know she was the reason Sirius was in the castle. One of her hands fisted into Sirius's fur and although he gave a slight wriggle of discomfort, he didn't move.

"Headmaster?" Snape said then and Arcadia slowly slit her eyes open to see they were nearly standing right next to Harry. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. And Filch has done the dungeons, nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched."

"Very well Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

Arcadia felt Sirius give another shake and wondered if it was a laugh or a fake snore that passed through his doggy lips.

"Have you any theory as to how he got in Professor?" Snape asked.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next." Arcadia had to bite her tongue then, to still the urge to giggle. _The way he got in was that I brought him in. _Arcadia thought to herself. _And he's going to have to explain just what the heck he was trying to get into Gryffindor Tower for. _She added as she ran her fingers through Sirius's fur.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before the beginning of term." Snape said then. Arcadia listened closer as she pretended to shift in her sleep again.

"I do, Severus."

"It seems-almost impossible-that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it." Dumbledore said and Arcadia had to fight the urge to snort softly then.

_I would have helped him in a heartbeat Headmaster...if he'd just asked..._

Dumbledore left shortly after that, to inform the Dementors. Arcadia felt a stab of relief when Dumbledore said no dementor would cross the threshold of Hogwarts while he was around. That meant Sirius was safe inside the castle. _So he's going to stay inside whether he likes it or not..._

* * *

"But you knew the password, why didn't the Fat Lady let you in?" Arcadia wondered as she frowned at the path ahead of them.

"She said I was an untrustworthy-looking fellow and therefore she would not let me in without a professor's express permission." Sirius snorted with an eye roll.

"So you attacked her?" Arcadia deadpanned as she turned to look up at him.

Sirius flashed her a grin then a pout. "I was getting angry."

"You could have asked me to help." Arcadia huffed as she walked along with Sirius down a rarely used corridor in the dungeons. It was the day after his attempted break-in and she'd managed to escape with the excuse of going to the loo. Sirius had followed her when she'd tugged on his fur and they had disappeared into the maze that was the dungeons.

"I didn't want you getting into trouble, if I got caught." Sirius replied, eyes flickering everywhere as they continued to walk. "Plus I figured, what with that vampire, you had enough on your plate."

"Still...I could've helped get you in. The Fat Lady trusts me." Arcadia argued, pausing and looking around as they reached a fork in the path. "I could have gotten you in and you could have done...whatever it is you were trying to do." Arcadia finished with a huff as she started down the left hallway. Sirius followed with a chuckle.

"Worried about me doll? Really? Even with everything you have to deal with?" Sirius asked with a grin. When Arcadia turned to him, face eeriely lit by the green latern lighting their way, her expression was dull.

"What would I have done...if they caught you?" She asked in a small voice. "I don't want you going back to your hell." She added as she rubbed her hands. Sirius stared at her, then knelt down and stare up into her shining eyes.

"Easy there doll. I wasn't going to get caught."

"You could have been."

"But I wasn't." Sirius argued back, frowning up at her. "What's really bothering you about all this?" He asked after a few moments.

Arcadia twitched but Sirius put his hands on her shoulders and made her meet his gaze. At last Arcadia shuddered and bowed her head. "You've been taking care of me more than anybody else Sirius. If you got caught...I wouldn't...there wouldn't be anyone doing that anymore." Arcadia felt her eyes sting and she swallowed hard to get rid of the tightness in her throat. "I would be scared...all the time...if you were gone..." She added in a smaller voice.

Sirius blinked at her, surprised by the confession. He hadn't been expecting that of all things to come out of her mouth. "Arcadia..." He shook his head, about to comfort her when he heard footsteps approaching and quickly shifted back into his dog form. Arcadia stumbled a little at the suddeness of his transformation and fell onto her knees. A bright light engulfed them then. Arcadia blinked as she tried to see past it at who was there.

"Prince. What are you doing here?" Snape asked as he turned off his wandlight. "Who were you talking to?" He asked, looking around and only spotting a dog.

"Just talking to the dog sir." Arcadia replied, getting up to her feet. She rubbed at her face then looked up to find Snape scowling at her. "Sir?"

"What are you doing wandering around on your own?" Snape hissed as he grabbed Arcadia's arm and tugged her back up the hallway. "This is highly irresponsible of you Prince."

"Sorry sir." Arcadia replied though she was surprised by how annoyed Snape sounded. It wasn't until they reached a more commonly used hallway lit by torches that Snape stopped and whirled around to face her. Arcadia took a step back at his thunderous expression.

"You are not to go wandering alone. Take someone with you." Snape ordered. Arcadia nodded and he gave her a push towards the Slytherin common room while whirling around to head to his office.

"Just what was that about?" Arcadia wondered as she looked down to find Sirius sitting beside her. He got up and stretched then wuffed slightly before leading the way back to the common room. Arcadia shook her head. She just didn't understand most adults.

Sirius meanwhile was thinking of a way to talk to Arcadia in his own form again. He needed to reassure her she wouldn't be alone if he did get caught. He had to make sure that by the time he did what he'd come here to do, Arcadia would be alright. It just wouldn't feel right to him, leaving the girl feeling like he was the sole rock on which she could cling. She needed to trust in Harry and the other professors.

Though...the more selfish part of him didn't mind that she clung onto him so much. It was nice to feel needed after all.

* * *

When the worry of Sirius Black had ebbed from the school, Arcadia thought that would mean the tension would cease too. What she didn't imagine was the tension turning into a different sort of anticipation as the first Quidditch Match of the season drew closer and closer. Harry was practicing nearly every other day and would come in with windswept hair, bright eyes, and a strong sense of determination in his movements. With the worry of Black gone, it seemed the worry of Dashing left as well.

Professor Snape had been tasked with interrogating her about Dashing. Arcadia had readily given him all the information she knew. Dashing didn't have a permenant residence, but had a home in nearly every country in Europe. He was mostly in the business of selling information for a living. Her mother had once said if anyone wanted to know anything at all, they would be best served by summoning Dashing. The professors took all this information and then told her not to worry and remain in the castle as much as possible when not in her outdoor classes.

Arcadia still peered through the windows however, though she tried to push the worry of Dashing to the back of her mind. She focused instead on other things.

At the moment that other thing was learning how to fly.

"Here, you grab it here. And put your legs like this...there you go." Harry instructed as the other members of the team watched on. They'd just finished one of their practices and today Arcadia had come with them, watching them in the stands. Harry had been quick to assure Oliver Wood that all Arcadia wanted was to go for a fly around the pitch and that she was not spying for the Slytherins.

Arcadia wobbled on the Nimbus as Harry instructed her into place. Sirius gave her a bark and let his tongue loll out in what appeared to be a grin. She grinned back.

"Good, now then, relax a little Arcadia, you're not going to fall." Harry promised as he borrowed Fred's broom and began to show Arcadia how to rise and dive and turn. After a few minutes Arcadia was gliding a few feet above the grassy ground. Sirius chased after her, barking and making the Gryffindors laugh. "Great! Let's go a little higher!" Harry called as he angled the broom up and rose slowly. Arcadia followed him, still wobbling a little but looking absolutely exhilarated as they hovered twenty feet from the ground. Harry slowly coaxed her to go up to fifty and then he set a slow-paced form of aerial tag, making Arcadia practice how to dip and curve and spiral.

Finally half and hour later they came back down, only because Madame Hooch was waving them to return to terra firma. As she handed back the broom Arcadia laughed.

"That was so much fun!" She exclaimed. Then she put her arms around Harry in a quick hug before pulling back to laugh at Sirius. Harry grinned sheepishly as Fred and George nudged his side and winked but he smiled nonetheless as Arcadia took his hand and they made their way back to the Great Hall.

"Are they actually going to be allowed to play in this?" Arcadia asked Sirius as they sat up a few hours later, looking at the storm through one of the enchanted windows in the girl's dormitory. Sirius had taken to hiding under the bed when the girls were awake but now he sat in his dog form by Arcadia, both watching but thankfully not hearing the vicious winds tearing through the woods and grounds. Sirius nodded and then laid down on the bed. Arcadia shook her head. "They'll get hurt, won't they?"

Sirius shook his head then grinned at her making Arcadia pat his head. "Well, if you say so..." She murmured and sighed, slipping back under the covers. Sirius lay at her side and she fell asleep quickly, still wondering if they could actually play Quidditch in this storm.

Sirius couldn't help peer at the window one last time before he went to sleep, hoping that Harry would be alright. From what he'd seen at that practice, it looked like there was nothing to worry about.

Still...Sirius had no desire to see his godson being battered into the lake or the forest...or the Whomping Willow...

* * *

On the day of the match Arcadia stared right up at the ceiling of the Great Hall then looked back down at Harry and said, "You're insane, you know that right?"

Harry, along with many of the other Gryffindors, laughed while Harry himself put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, pretty much." He replied.

Arcadia cast the storm brewing outside one last glare before holding a sausage out to Sirius who was sitting under the table with his head on the bench next to Arcadia. She caught his eye then shook his head.

"You'd better be careful Harry." Hermione said, looking at the ceiling as well with great dislike.

Harry waved off their concerns and ate his breakfast.

They made their way to the pitch after that, Arcadia shivering as she tried her best to keep a firm grip on her umbrella. By the time they reached the pitch Arcadia was soaking wet but she bid Harry good luck anyway and moved with Ron and Hermione up into the stands.

She was shivering by the time they sat down until Blaise joined them and took out his wand, whispering something. The air around them suddenly got warmer and Arcadia relaxed, smiling at him. He smirked back then pat Sirius on the head.

"Not exactly the best weather to view your first match but it'll be exciting all the same." Blaise told her. Arcadia nodded, her eyes on the muddy field as the two teams came pouring out. She cheered along with Ron and Hermione for Gryffindor and watched as they all got on their brooms and took off into the sky.

And it was exciting, even with the wind and rain pounding and the thunder rolling. Arcadia's eyes flickered from each form in the air above them. She would hop up and celebrate when Gryffindor scored or when Hufflepuff fumbled, because Harry was up there.

"I wonder if you'll be this enthusiastic when Slytherin plays." Blaise wondered aloud during a quick time out in which Hermione disappeared.

"Of course."

"And when it's Slytherin against Gryffindor?" Blaise asked. Arcadia shrugged and then grinned slightly.

"We'll just have to wait and see right?" She replied as the whistle sounded and the people on the ground took off into the sky again.

It was during another wave of cheers for a goal that Arcadia felt it. That creeping, deep, cold that she recognized. Shuddering she looked down...

Dozens of dementors were crowding in the middle of the pitch, most of them staring up into the sky it seemed. Arcadia felt the world tilt and heard a few screams as her vision was filled with white fog and flickers of old visions.

This time though, one became prominent and overtook her mind. She found herself staring at a pair of familiar gold eyes.

_Dashing. It was Dashing. But what was he doing here? _

_"Are you certain you wish to do this Dianthe? Your only little girl..." The vampire said with a nasty chuckle. _

_Arcadia's eyes flickered up and saw her mother's own cold brown eyes on her while she twined a lock of her thick brown hair around a finger. "She's cost me too much already Dashing. I could care very little if it works or not." _

_The vampire's eyes narrowed then but the nasty smirk still curled his lips. "How utterly vicious Dianthe. Blaming the little one for your own faults." _

_Dianthe hissed and reached out as it to slap Dashing but his hand curled around her wrist and he bared his fangs. Dianthe yanked her hand away, shaking it as if to rid herself of some oily residue. "Let's just get on with it." _

_Dashing chuckled again and turned to look down at Arcadia. "Now then little one, this won't hurt a bit. You'll not feel a thing." Arcadia moved her lips, wanting to ask what was going on. There was something sticking her teeth and lips together though. Dashing must have noticed because he grinned charmingly. "Oh don't worry little one...all your mother wants is an obedient little doll..." The vampire leaned over and whispered into her ear. "One little stab and one little spell. Quick and painless. Well that's the theory anyway..." _

_And then Arcadia saw the flash of a knife as it was raised and brought down, right into her chest, right into her heart. _

She screamed and lurched awake, her hands over her heart, eyes wide.

"Arcadia! It's okay!" A familiar voice called and she turned toward the voice, reaching out blindly. She blinked and felt teardrops fall down her cheeks. She was crying she found, and quickly pulled her hands back to rub at her eyes. "Arcadia, what happened?" Arcadia looked up and found Harry staring at her now, looking haunted and pale. It was dark she noted and they were in the hospital wing. She shuddered a bit then lay back down.

"What happened Harry?" She asked hoarsely and cleared her throat to get rid of the roughness. Harry looked as bad as she felt. Pale and shocked and many other things besides. He slowly told her what he'd been told, about the dementors, and him falling, being saved by Dumbledore and brought to the infirmary. "And to me?" She asked once he'd finished showing her the remains of his broom.

"Hermione says you passed out, just like that time in the train." Harry told her. "You were shaking something awful she said. She called to Professor McGonagall, who brought you here. Snape came around and tried to figure out why you passed out but all anyone could tell him was that one second you were cheering, the next you were on the ground."

Arcadia shivered and shuddered, her hands going up to her face. "I...I saw something...awful Harry." She admitted as she continued to shake.

"What was it?" Harry asked her. Arcadia's fingers twitched and she was about to speak when Madame Pomfrey appeared.

"Awake at last, good. I was starting to worry." Pomfrey said. Arcadia nodded stiffly and Harry saw her eyes were dull with everything she was trying to hide at the moment. Pomfrey checked on her, declaring Arcadia was alright but should remain overnight just in case. She then went off to notify the headmaster Arcadia had awoken and left the two teens alone.

"Arcadia?" Harry asked and she turned to him, her hand moving over her heart.

"Something awful." Arcadia murmured as she clenched and unclenched her fingers. "Something...something I don't...understand." Arcadia stared down at her hands. "I thought this was the worst..." She told herself.

The doors opening caused Arcadia to jump then flush at her reaction as she spotted Snape striding towards her bed. "Prince." He said once he had.

"Professor." Arcadia replied, her fingers still clenched around her shirt. "Is something wrong?" She asked when he stood there silently for a few seconds.

"The Headmaster wishes to know why you're reacting as badly as Potter to the Dementors." Snape said with a glance at Harry who was glaring at Snape's back. Arcadia felt herself twitch then and shake her head jerkily. She gave another jump when she felt her bed dip and felt hot breath on her back. Snapping her head around she saw it was just Sirius.

"It was awful." Arcadia said as she latched onto Sirius and hid her face in his fur. "Dashing was there...and Mother...and there was a knife...and he said Mother wanted an obedient little doll..." Arcadia shuddered and shook. "And he said there was a spell and he stabbed my chest and-"

"What!" Harry shouted into the still hospital wing. Arcadia turned to him with tears in her eyes. "That vampire-he-he-"

Arcadia nodded and turned back to Sirius. "I don't understand. I don't understand it at all."

Snape watched as Harry jumped out of his bed and onto Arcadia's, pulling the girl into a hug. Arcadia let him, giving only a moment's resistance before she gave in.

"Did that really happen?" Arcadia asked, turning to look at Snape who had been talking to Pomfrey, who'd come out of her office at the sound of Harry's shout. Snape turned to her then and gave a curt nod.

"Dementors make you remember your worst memories. They do not implant false images into your mind." Snape explained. Arcadia shuddered and hid her face in Harry's shoulder, keeping on hand buried in Sirius's fur.

Pomfrey went over and retrieved some Dreamless Sleep, giving some to each of the teens. Harry stared at it dubiously for a second until he saw Arcadia tossing it back. He drank it down then as well, feeling its affects instantly. Pomfrey helped him back to his own bed and the last thing he saw before he went under was Arcadia staring listlessly at him.

Snape waited until both had fallen asleep before turning and striding towards the doors. He hunted down Dumbledore in the Great Hall, taking his seat and ignoring the curious looks he was getting. "Well Severus?" Dumbledore asked. Snape quickly told him what Arcadia had said, and her reactions before Pomfrey put her under. Dumbledore stared pensively at the enchanted ceiling.

"It seems things just got more complicated then." Dumbledore said at last. Snape stared at him with a frown heavily lining his face. "I believe I may know what Miss Prince is describing. And if I am correct, then we must be very careful to keep her safely within the grounds."

"Why? What was she talking about?" Snape asked, growing more annoyed with Dumbledore's mysterious ways. Prince was a Slytherin, automatically putting her above the other students in Snape's mind. All Slytherins were his responsiblity and to have one of them suffering with him unable to do much seriously ticked him off.

"Come, we will discuss this in private." Dumbledore said, getting up from his seat and leaving the hall with Snape at his side. They made their way up to Dumbledore's office and Snape took a seat in front of Dumbledore as the old man settled into his chair.

"From all we've learned, Arcadia came from a Dark household. Her mother freely practiced Dark Arts and often Arcadia suffered the consequences." Dumbledore said while waving his wand and having a tea tray appear. He fixed himself a cup before continuing to speak. "And some of her behavior during her time here has worried me. Her moments of complete withdrawal especially. I began to research spells or potions that would affect a person in such a way, once she revealed some of her past to us."

Dumbledore paused to take a drink then met Snape's gaze. "There are many, most notably the Imperius Curse, that may have these affects. The longer the spell or potion is used, the more a person suffers." Snape nodded, knowing better than most how spells like the Imperius Curse affected those who remained under them for too long. Dumbledore turned to stare at a list he had on his desk. "There is one that stood out in my mind, because of how well it matched young Arcadia's behavior." He handed Snape the list and Snape's eyes were immediately drawn to a red circle around the words, _El Ritual de la Muneca Inmovil_.

"El Ritual de la Muneca Inmovil." Snape said aloud. Dumbledore nodded.

"The Still Doll Ritual." Dumbledore translated, his half-moon glasses flashing. Snape stared down at the words again. "A ritual that was favored during the Spanish Inquisition, which would be used on people the King and Queen deemed 'worthy'. It was used to remove a person's will and keep them as a servant to whoever cast the spell. The ritual would remove everything from the victim's mind before that point. The heart would be stabbed, since it was believed that a person's strongest memories were stored there, and then the spell would be spoken, which would heal the victim while at the same time locking away those memories from before, and sealing their will to fight away."

Snape looked at Dumbledore then. "What else?" He asked when the wizard continued to be silent.

Dumbledore's lips curved into a half-smirk, and expression few people ever saw on his face. Snape knew this wouldn't be good. "If the victim was not killed during the ritual, then when they awoke from it, they would essentially become a puppet for the whim of the caster. They would not be able to fight, for their will would be locked away, and they would not remember why they did not wish to serve the persont they were bound to, because their memories would be lost. Also...in order to maintain absolute control, the caster would have to take some of the victim's blood and add it to a certain potion which they would then drink, giving them even more power over their victim."

"The scars on her hands..." Snape murmured then. Dumbledore nodded, and the firelight made his glasses turn white and hide the man's blue eyes. "But if this ritual makes a puppet out of a person, taking away their free will, then how was Prince able to run away from her mother?"

"I believe her mother grew complacent, and stopped taking the potion every month. When she stopped doing so, then the ritual began to loose some of its hold, allowing Arcadia to reason and begin to see she could perhaps escape. The death she witnessed must have helped her regain most of her fighting spirit and allowed her to escape." Dumbledore explained while looking at another piece of parchment.

"There is also one more important piece to the Still Doll Ritual." Dumbledore added, looking up at Snape who was looking back with narrowed eyes. "There is a way to reverse it. The caster will choose a word or phrase which when spoken will free the victim and all their suppressed memories and will." Dumbledore picked up the other parchment and handed it to Snape. "I think I may know what phrase Arcadia's mother used."

Snape looked at the other parchment and saw it was a letter from a person in the Minsitry. His eyes found the most important part in the letter.

_"I am sorry to say Headmaster that there has been no girl born with the name Arcadia Prince anywhere in the UK in the last thirteen years. There have also been no girls either with a mother with the name Dianthe that we could verify. So either your girl has been lying or her mother may have changed her name..." _

"I believe the phrase her mother used was Arcadia's true name." Dumbledore said once Snape looked up from the letter. "Arcadia Prince is the name her mother must have given her after the ritual. But it was not the one she was born with, at least not completely. Either the first name or surname may have been falsified, or perhaps her mother merely lied about the girl being named by her father to injure Arcadia futher."

Snape nodded and continued to look at the spanish words for the despicable ritual.

"I have another bit of news." Dumbledore continued after Snape set both parchment back on his desk. He dug out another letter and gave it to Snape. "I may have a lead on the girl's mother."

The letter was rather short but what drew Snape's eye was the list at the bottom.

_Dianthe Marianne Caruthers, Dianthe Araceli Craven, Dianthe Lovette, Dianthe Kingston, Dianthe Oriana Heatherly _

"Who are these women?" Snape asked, laying that letter down.

"Death Eaters named by others during their trials." Dumbledore informed him. "I have already begun to see what has become of those women. Many of them went missing within two to three years after Harry's defeat of Voldemort." Dumbledore explained.

There was silence as the two men pondered their thoughts. At last, when the clock struck ten, Snape came out of his contemplation.

"You know who may be able to tell us more." Snape said with a slight grimace on his face.

Dumbledore, surprisingly, gave his potions master a small grin. "Of course Severus. And I have already arranged a meeting with Mr. Dashing." Snape let his face show his complete dislike of the situation.

"Arcadia says he sells information for a price." Snape reminded the headmaster who was already clearing up his desk, taking care with the letters he'd shown Snape. "He'll no doubt make you pay as well."

"I will pay whatever price I deem proper, certainly." Dumbledore replied and Snape rose from his seat.

"Why?" he asked as he stared at the old man. "I agree this is a rotten situation for a child to be entangled in, but why are you so invested in delving further?"

Dumbledore looked up at Snape with that x-ray look of his before he shifted and the firelight once more blocked out his eyes.

"Because Severus...I have a feeling that girl will be necessary in the future." Dumbledore said softly. Snape couldn't tell what he was thinking with his eyes blocked from view-then again when did he ever know what was going on in the old coot's mind? He sighed, nodded, and swept towards the door, his mind buzzing with the conversation he'd had.

There were many questions in this story, even if Dumbledore's belief the girl was part of some disgusting ritual was true. For example, why would a woman put her own daughter through it? What was gained? Why did the woman stop taking the potion? Why was Arcadia able to escape?

Snape blinked when he found himself in front of his own chambers. He gave his head a slight shake.

The more answers they found, the more questions that came out of the woodwork.

Snape couldn't help it however, as an old sliver of his mind shivered and awoke from a long, long slumber. The girl was turning into a puzzling mystery, the most puzzling mystery Snape had had for the better part of a decade.

He was looking forward to figuring it all out.

* * *

_**Haha I didn't plan on going this far today but I am still pleased. ^^ Hope you liked! **_


	9. Other Things to Think About

**~Still Doll~**

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**Arigato for reading! It's so hot I don't even wanna eat...so I'll write instead :P. **

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Other Things To Think About**

_Dementors make people relive their worst experiences. _

_But I don't remember **That**. Or rather I didn't...until the dementors brought it out._

_What else don't I know?_

Arcadia asked herself these questions for days afterward. Even when she and Harry were released from the hospital wing and the noise of the school helped push that memory into the back of her mind. They would resurface at night, when everything became too quiet for her to ignore the words running circles in her mind.

"It hasn't changed much." Blaise commented as he studied Arcadia'a tea leaves. She blinked and looked over at him with a frown. Blaise just shrugged and set the teacup down.

"Pain and secrets and all that then?" She asked with a slight smirk, reaching down to pat Sirius's head.

"Pretty much." Blaise smirked now. Arcadia sighed, rubbing at her forehead a little. They were in the Slytherin common room. While the others did their homework Blaise and Arcadia had sat sipping tea. Blaise had asked her to, for whatever mysterious reason of his.

Looking at the boy now, Arcadia had to wonder why he was so invested in getting along with her. Although the other Slytherins treated her kindly, they didn't try as hard to be friendly with her as Blaise did.

"Something on your mind?" He asked now, serving them more tea and snapping his fingers so that a house-elf appeared with a tray of cupcakes. Arcadia took one, her eyes on the blue frosting as she peeled away the paper. There was plenty on her mind truthfully, but she doubted she could just lay it all on Blaise. She wanted to know his reasons for sticking by her side, even as the novelty of her new-ness was fading.

"A lot of somethings." She replied simply and ate her cupcake in companionable silence. She'd figure him out eventually.

For now there were other things to think about.

Dashing for example. The memory for another. The upcoming Christmas holidays were also on her mind.

And there was something else coming up, just before Christmas.

Yes, Arcadia had plenty to think about as she handed Sirius a cupcake.

* * *

Snape watched Arcadia as she worked through the potion for this lesson, her eyes focused on her cauldron and not on the bickering going on between Potter and Malfoy. He had to commend her on that, he would have hexed them both silent long before.

He still couldn't believe everything Dumbledore had told him. He knew from experience that Dumbledore's hunches were usually as good as fact, which made him more curious about the mystery of the girl. What could have made her mother subject her to such a ritual, making her own child an obedient little doll with no free will and no memories?

And why was it important to tamper with the girl's memories in the first place? Did the girl witness some sort of crime or learn some secret?

Arcadia added the pomgegrante juice and two moth wings to her mix then stirred, while saying something to the boys that made them quiet down for two seconds at last.

Snape figured he'd just have to wait until Dumbledore met with that Dashing. Though the potions master couldn't help but wonder what price a vampire would ask of the most powerful living wizard.

* * *

On the first night of December, Dumbledore made his way down the grounds of Hogwarts and into the village of Hogsmeade, his silver hair and beard shining in the dark. He hummed slightly under his breath as he stepped into the Three Broomsticks and was greeted by Rosmerta. The witch led him up to a private room and Dumbledore sat down in one of the comfortable, high backed chairs and poured himself a goblet of mead, taking small sips as the fire crackled merrily in the fireplace.

"Good evening Headmaster Dumbledore." A cool voice said. Dumbledore turned and raised his goblet a bit in welcome to the man with white hair. He looked like any other middle-aged man at first. But the longer Dumbledore looked, the more he saw other telltale signs beside's the man's white hair. There were the fangs, the rings of red around the pupils that were hard to see from a distance. Not to mention the fact that looking into the man's eyes made Dumbledore inexplicably peaceful and wanting to just close his eyes...

Blinking once, Dumbledore found that his guest had moved and was now occupying the other chair, pouring himself some mead as well and toasting Dumbledore before taking a drink. They sat in silence for a few moments before Dumbledore set his goblet down and gave the vampire a small smile.

"So I am guessing the little doll told on me." Dashing said with a chuckle as he took another drink of mead.

Dumbledore gave a nod and another smile. "Yes she did. You surprised her greatly with your appearance."

"I don't doubt it." Dashing said with a chuckle. "I can't blame her either. Her experiences with me haven't been exactly heartwarming." Dashing grinned.

"So I've heard." Dumbledore replied and Dashing met his eyes then.

"What exactly have you heard?" Dashing wondered then, tilting his head a little and studying Dumbledore more now. "I'm surprised you heard anything at all to be honest. Arcadia never did speak much."

"She didn't?" Dumbledore asked. Dashing grinned once again while raising a finger and wagging it at Dumbledore.

"Now now dear Headmaster, I am not one to simply gossip about the secrets of my associates."

"Arcadia said as much." Dumbledore gave the man a nod then. "I must admit, I am curious about her. How much would your information on her life cost?"

Dashing chuckled again, gold eyes flashing with mirth as he set his own goblet down and placed his fingertips together. "I know nearly every secret there is to know about Arcadia. I've known her since birth you see." Dashing teased as he shifted in his seat and looked out the window with a fond look on his face. Dumbledore wondered if the emotion was genuine or not. Dashing looked back over at Dumbledore and a smirk twisted his pale, thin lips. "How much are you willing to give, for the secrets of one little girl?"

"We would have to see what those secrets were, now wouldn't we?" Dumbledore replied evenly. Dashing continued to smirk while his eyes gleamed in the firelight. Dumbledore waited patiently, pouring himself more mead and letting his mind contemplate what exactly this vampire was holding inside his head.

After a while Dashing laughed, a soft laugh, and looked at Dumbledore. "I propose a trade Dumbledore. A secret for a secret. Surely you have many interesting secrets of your own." Dashing gave Dumbledore a knowing smile.

Dumbledore set his goblet down again, his eyes downcast as he wondered whether it would be worth trading his secrets in exchange for the secrets of one little girl.

Then he thought if it was worth killing one small boy in exchange for the safety of the rest of the world.

The situations were nothing alike on the outside, but at the core they were the same. They were an exchange of souls, one in exchange for something greater.

"My secrets, in exchange for Arcadia's?" He asked the vampire who was flashing his fangs now. "What good would an old man's secrets do you though?"

Dashing chuckled. "For the first thirty-six years of my life, I made it my business to know other people's business and it made a happy life for me. For over one hundred years I have continued to find that knowing things others don't pays off better than anything else." Dashing sighed then. "I'm sure there will come a day Dumbledore, when your secrets will be of some use to me. Just as Arcadia's will be of some use to you."

"You are very certain." Dumbledore said then, eyes narrowing. Dashing nodded and looked at the old wizard with a darker emotion in his eye as he smiled.

"Harry Potter isn't the only prophecy child." Dashing replied at last before bowing his head a moment. When he looked back up he was smiling cheerily, as if Dumbledore were an old friend come for tea. "Now then, do you agree to my proposal?" Dumbledore nodded curtly and Dashing grinned. "Normally I would bind you by vampire oath, but I trust your goodness and sense of right, Dumbledore. It is legendary after all." Dashing leaned forward a bit in his seat. "And to show you how much I trust that nature of yours, I will give you the first secret for free."

Dumbledore paid close attention now as Dashing spoke.

"Arcadia's mother was not always Dianthe. Dianthe is the name she chose for herself after she left the UK." Dashing chuckled as Dumbledore blinked then frowned.

"So Arcadia's entire world is a lie then?" Dumbledore asked and Dashing just smiled. "Hmm, yes, it would make sense. If everything is as I suspect, it would only make sense to remove every trace of Arcadia's former life..."

Dashing leaned back in his seat, twining some of the long white hair around a long, pale finger. "How is the little dear doing by the by? I mean aside from the terror my presence must have caused?"

Dumbledore smiled this time. "I am afraid Arcadia's well-being is not your prime concern, Mr. Dashing, therefore I will kindly decline from answering."

Dashing narrowed his eyes then, though the smile remained on his lips. "Oh but you would be wrong. Arcadia's well-being is the whole reason I am here, speaking to you, at all."

The Headmaster highly doubted that. Still, if he kept Dashing talking, perhaps there would be little clues to help solve the puzzle. "Arcadia is well, and adapting to being free of her mother's hold."

"Healthy and adapting?" Dashing replied, smiling once more as that dark emotion filled his gaze. "Good. Then all is well in the world." Dashing stood up suddenly. "I have business to see to Headmaster, I do hope you'll forgive me."

Dumbledore stared at him steadily while Dashing grinned once more. "That is all you will tell me tonight then?"

"Of course. If I give you everything you want tonight, my own goals may be put in jeopardy." Dashing said as if that should have been obvious. He made his way to the door, paused and bowed to Dumbledore, then added, "Keep Arcadia safe Headmaster, and I will tell you everything in due time... _You _ought to know better than anyone that sometimes some matters must be kept quiet...for _the greater good_..." Dashing added with a cruel smirk before he turned and left.

Dumbledore frowned at the flames as he contemplated Dashing the vampire and Arcadia the child.

This mystery was growing more complex every time he looked at it.

* * *

Arcadia woke up very early one Wednesday morning. There was snow piling up in the enchanted windows. She thought maybe the change of light had woken her, until she saw the door open and Sirius walked in, holding something in his mouth.

"Morning." She told him, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Sirius set his cargo on the bed and wuffed happily, his tail wagging. Picking up the parchment, she saw it was a card. On the front was a picture of a birthday cake. On the inside were the words _Happy Birthday! _Arcadia stared at them for a long moment then smiled.

"It's my birthday today." She murmured. "How'd you find out?" She asked Sirius as she pushed the blankets off her and stood up. He rolled his eyes then let his tongue hang out in a grin. "Oh right, I told you so didn't I?" She asked while gathering her things and heading into the bathroom. Sirius tugged on the blanket and hid under the bed as other girls began to awaken.

After getting dressed in her school uniform and tucking Sirius's card into one of her books, she went out to the common room and found Blaise already awake. "Good morning Blaise."

"Good morning Arcadia." Blaise replied, getting up from his seat to follow her to the Great Hall. "And Happy Birthday." He added in an undertone. Arcadia stopped walking and turned to Blaise who was holding out a small box wrapped in bright green paper.

"How'd you find out?" She demanded to know as her eyes greedily devoured the sight of the little green-wrapped box. She couldn't think of the last time she'd had a birthday present. Well something so nicely wrapped and given without a fuss like this. Usually her mother gave her some new clothes, to keep her decent for the visitors. That was the only reason she knew her birthday really. Her mother had often used that as a bargaining tool when she was still too little to truly grasp the fact that her mother was evil. _Be a good girl and Mummy will get you something nice for your birthday..._

Blaise chuckled as they entered the Great Hall. "My Aunt Vivianna." Blaise replied. Arcadia was stumped by that for a second then she remembered what Blaise had said during their first Divination lesson. _My aunt, Vivianna is a true Seer..._

"But why bother telling you that?" Arcadia asked as they sat down at the table and she continued to stare at her present.

Blaise got a mysterious smile on his lips then, one of those knowing smiles he'd give her from time to time. Arcadia was starting to think he was lying about not possessing the Sight. He had to be _some _kind of clairvoyant...

"Open it already would you?" Blaise prompted then and Arcadia blinked then giggled and carefully opened her first real present. Inside the small, flat box was a set of gloves. Fingerless gloves made of some smooth skin dyed white. Arcadia pulled them out then turned to look at Blaise who was grinning. "To cover your scars." He said simply, turning to his waffles and digging in. Arcadia gaped at him for a second then slowly turned to look at the gloves. She felt her eyes prickle a little and thought it was very stupid to be wanting to cry over this.

It was so thoughtful though, giving her something to hide the scars that reminded her so much of the past and the memory the Dementors brought out. She gulped down the tears and pulled them on. They were a tad big then there was a soft tingle and they shrunk down to her size. Arcadia looked down at her hands then. The scars were completely hidden by the gloves now. Not a hint of them could be seen. She gulped again, looking up to smile at Blaise.

"Thank you." She murmured as she ran a finger over the gloves. She felt odd, not feeling the odd texture of her scars anymore, simply feeling the softness of the gloves.

"I'll tell Aunt Vi you liked them." Blaise replied.

"Arcadia!" Turning she spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall now. She got up then stopped. Placing a hand on Blaise's shoulder she gave it a quick squeeze before hurrying away to the Gryffindor table. When she reached them Harry was wearing a big grin on his face, as were Ron and Hermione. "What?" She asked wondering if she had something stuck on her school robes.

"Happy birthday!" Harry cheered then along with Ron and Hermione. Arcadia blinked before grinning herself.

"You remembered." She said feeling the stupid prickle in her eyes again.

"Yeah, of course." Harry replied, pulling Arcadia to sit down beside him. "What d'you want for breakfast hmm?"

"Pancakes. With blueberry syrup." Arcadia said and Harry piled two pancakes on her plate. Hermione found the syrup and spread libreal amounts over them. Ron handed her a goblet of juice and they settled down to eat.

"So who else knows?" Harry asked, looking as excited as if it were his own birthday.

"Erm...Blaise and my other friend." Arcadia said when Sirius popped up next to Harry who gave him some bacon.

"So did one of them give you those gloves?" Hermione asked with a smile and Arcadia laughed while nodding.

"Blaise did. Because he noticed I didn't like my scars..." Arcadia murmured while running her hand over the soft gloves once more.

Harry pat her shoulder then and she smiled at him. "I'll get you something too then." He promised. She shook her head.

"It's okay if you don't. I'm just happy your remembered." Arcadia promised him. Harry just grinned and shook his head.

"There's a Hogsmeade trip at the end of the term. We can get you something then." Hermione said making Arcadia blush. She couldn't believe the fuss they were making. All over her. It was just another reminder of how different her life had become. How much nicer.

She smiled as they headed up to Charms class and kept smiling all day.

* * *

Harry and Arcadia watched the students from a window on the second floor as they walked across the courtyard, down the grounds and off to the village in the distance. Arcadia wished she could go again but then Dashing's face would flash in her mind's eye and she was glad for the enchantments surrounding Hogwarts.

"Let's go play some chess." Harry suggested. Arcadia agreed, letting him take her hand and led the way towards the Gryffindor common room, Sirius following behind happily enough.

Christmas was in a few more days. The castle had begun getting its decorations hung up. Arcadia loved the sight of them and Harry had fun pointing out his favorites to her.

"...and in the Great Hall there'll be twelve huge trees all decorated. There's also the food. The foods always the best at Christmas. Not to mention the crackers and the presents and all that."

Arcadia grinned at the description as they turned up another set of stairs. "I can't wait. It'll be my first real Christmas." Arcadia told him. Harry squeezed her hand then chuckled.

"Since nearly everyone has gone home for the holidays, why don't you come spend some time with us in Gryffindor?" Harry asked suddenly. "Like a sleepover."

"Haha a sleepover. That sounds like fun. Do you think I could?"

"I don't see why not." Harry replied.

"Aww how cute." Said two voices from the shadows. The two teens paused and looked around. Arcadia spotted a pair of twins then, with flaming red hair like Ron's, and brown eyes. They were built more sturdier, she though, less long in the limbs than Ron. There was no mistaking the family resemblance though. "So this is your girlfriend Harry?" One of them asked.

"She's not my girlfriend." Harry said turning pink. "She's just a girl and a friend, like Hermione." He grinned as the twins laughed. "Arcadia, these are Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older brothers."

"How do you do?" They asked with little bows.

"Nice to meet you." Arcadia replied.

"So anyways c'mere Harry. We have something for you." Fred said then. Arcadia nodded, turning continue onto Gryffindor when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Harry pulled her along into an empty classroom with the twins, who were grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

"But Dashing..." Arcadia murmured as Harry grinned at her. She shook her head then. "You can go ahead Harry. I don't want to meet up with him though."

Harry's grin died a little. It wouldn't feel right to him, to leave Arcadia all on her own in the castle. If only there was a way to make sure that vampire wouldn't see- Harry's grin revived then.

"Wait here." He told her, thrusting the map into her hands and exiting the classroom in a flash.

"I always wondered what happened to that." Sirius said then, making Arcadia jump. She felt her eyes bug out a little as she quickly checked to make sure the door was shut.

"Sirius! Get back into dog form! Someone could see-_Harry_ could see you!" Arcadia hissed, continuing to look around in fear. Sirius just laughed as he studied the map.

"I'll tell you a secret." Sirius said then as he moved into a darker corner. "I'm Padfoot." And before Arcadia could even gasp out another question he turned back into the huge dog.

The door bursting open made Arcadia let out a shout. Harry grinned at her sheepishly for a moment before he held out his fist, making Arcadia blink. Shutting the door, Harry shook his fist and something in the air under it rippled for a second.

"This is an Invisibility Cloak." Harry told her, turning it over so that the rich fabric was visible. "It was my dad's. I use it all the time and no one has ever found out." Harry told her.

Arcadia stared at it in confusion then slowly she realized what that meant. She could go out into the village with Harry...and no one would ever see her! It was brilliant! "Oh! I could wear it!" Harry nodded and took the map from her then threw the cloak over her, smiling as she disappeared from view. "I can't see you at all." Harry informed her while opening the door and leading the way to the statue of the humped-back witch.

After checking the hallway around them they approached the statue and Harry pulled out the map, staring at it for a few seconds before he tapped the hump and said, "Dissendium!" The hump shifted and opened. Harry went through first, followed by Arcadia, and then to Harry's amusement, the dog.

They all slipped down a stone slide then landed on damp, earthy floor. Getting up, Harry lit his wand and led the way through the passage, laughing when the dog's barks echoed around them.

"This is exciting." Arcadia told him as they reached the end of the tunnel and saw stairs disappearing upwards beyond the wandlight. Harry turned out the light.

"Yeah in a way." Harry told her as they climbed the stairs and finally Harry hit his head on some stone. Rubbing the spot, he blinked and peered above him, then gently lifted the stone and gave the cellar of Honeydukes a quick look around before pushing the stone aside. The dog had disappeared and Harry worried it was still on the steps when he saw the flash of a tail being hidden. Grinning, he set the stone aside then they moved towards the stairs, wondering if they could get away with opening it.

To their luck, one of the owners of Honeydukes came down then and they used that moment to hurry through the open door. Honeydukes was packed with students, which let Harry mingle amongst them.

Arcadia let Sirius out from under the cloak and the dog moved to stand over next to Harry as he made his way over to a corner where the special effects treats stood. Ron and Hermione were discussing what to take Harry.

"How about some Cockroach Cluster?" Ron asked then.

"Definitely not." Harry replied making Ron jump in surprise. Arcadia giggled, causing Ron to look around wildly for the source of the phantom laugh. "Arcadia's under the cloak." At the sight of Hermione's stern expression Harry held up his hand defensively. "I didn't want to leave her all alone in the castle! And I also didn't want that vampire seeing her and trying anything!"

"Oh Harry this is rather reckless don't you think?" Hermione asked. "And how did you even get here?"

Harry grinned while telling them all about the Marauder's Map. By the time he finished Hermione was looking a bit indignant.

"But you're going to turn it into Professor McGonagall right?" She insisted making Ron goggle at her and Harry shake his head.

"No I'm not." Harry told her. "Besides, even if I did I would have to tell her where I got it. Then Filch would know Fred and George took it!"

"But Sirius Black could be using one of those secret passages to get into the castle!" Hermione argued.

"He isn't using the passages." Arcadia blurted out before she could help it. Seeing three pairs of eyes blinking in her direction she blushed. "I mean, he can't be. Ron's brothers said Filch knows about four right? And another has that crazy tree over it. The one we used would be pretty hard to spot unless you knew about it. And the other is caved in."

"Besides Hermione, the shopkeepers would have heard a break-in." Ron said then pointed at the door. "Plus there's that." The teens all turned and looked over to find a sign proclaiming that Dementors would be searching the streets after dark.

"Harry could still get into a lot of trouble if anyone else found out." Hermione said but Arcadia could tell she was close to giving in. "It's not dark yet either! What if Black shows up today? Now?"

Ron snorted and pointed out the windows. "He'd have a job spotting Harry in that." Hermione looked like she was scrambling to find another negative in the situation.

"Are you going to report me then Hermione?" Harry asked with a grin.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh of course not Harry..."

"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees Harry?" Ron said then, leading Harry through the shop. Hermione followed along behind them, staying close to the spot where the dog walked, knowing Arcadia was there.

"The snow might stop Black but I doubt that vampire is as picky." Hermione murmured softly. Under the cloak Arcadia stiffened. "But if he does show up, we'll keep you safe." Hermione promised.

After they left Honeydukes they traveled up the lane a bit before Ron suggested the Three Broomsticks. Arcadia was a little wary but the cloak didn't protect much against the cloak so she gave in.

Inside they found a nice little table in a corner and settled down in seats while Ron went to get the butterbeer. Sirius lay under Arcadia's seat, breathing deeply and letting his tongue loll out in doggy pleasure.

Arcadia relaxed after her first sip of butterbeer. The drink just made it very easy for her to do so. She leaned into her seat and smiled calmly while they all warmed up.

A breeze ruffled the cloak and Arcadia looked around at the door just as Harry let out a choked noise. Arcadia understood why. There were McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and Fudge the Minister of Magic. Arcadia saw Hermione and Ron push Harry under the table. Arcadia watched the professors as they walked towards the bar then returned and took a seat at a table right across from their. Hermione whispered a spell and a Christmas tree moved a few inches until it hid them from view of the professors and minister. Arcadia reached down then and felt Sirius was sitting up beside her chair now, ears pricked, eyes focused on the people hidden by the large pine tree.

"So what brings you to this neck of the woods Minister?" Asked a woman's voice.

"What else m'dear but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween." Fudge's voice replied.

"I did hear a rumor."

"Did you tell the whole pub Hagrid?" McGonagall's voice scolded then.

"Do you think Black's still in the area minister?" The woman, Rosmerta Arcadia figured, asked.

"I'm sure of it." Fudge said.

"You know the dementors searched the village twice. Scared all my customers away... It's bad for business." Rosmerta said.

"Rosmerta m'dear I don't like them anymore than you do. All the same, they're here to protect you from much worse." Fudge said now. "We all know what Black's capable of."

"Do you know I still have trouble believing it?" Rosmerta said now. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought... I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it." Fudge said. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst? Worse than murdering all those people you mean?"

"I certainly do."

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta." McGonagall was speaking now. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally." Rosmerta said with a little laugh. "Never saw one without the other did you? The number of times I had them in here-ooohh they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Arcadia felt Sirius's ears twitch then. She looked down at him and wondered why he'd never told her about being friends with Harry's dad before.

"Black and Potter, ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright of course-exceptionally bright in fact-but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of trouble makers-" McGonagall said with a little laugh in her voice.

"I dunno." Hagrid said now, chuckling. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" Flitwick spoke up now. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were. Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry." Fudge's voice seemed to echo in Arcadia's head as she grasped a hanful of Sirius's fur. He was Harry's _godfather_? "Harry has no idea of course. You can imagine how the thought would torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?"

"Worse even than that m'dear..." Fudge lowered his voice. "Not many people known the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. One of Dumbledore's spies tipped him off. He alerted them at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore suggested a Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" Rosmerta asked breathlessly.

Flitwick cleared his through. "It's an immensely complex spell, involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find-unless of course the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it."

"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" Rosmerta whispered.

"Naturally." McGonagall said. "James Potter told Dumbledore Black would rather die than tell where they were, that Black was planning on going into hiding himself."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?" Rosmerta asked.

"Of course. And just barely a week after the Fidelius Charm was preformed-"

"Black betrayed them?"

"He did indeed." Fudge said. "He was tired of his double-agent role. Ready to pledge his total allegiance to the Dark Lord."

Hagrid growled then, a fist thumping on the table. "Filthy stinkin' turncoat!"

"Shh!" McGonagall hissed at the giant.

"He came ter the house! I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash on his foreheads and his parents dead... An Sirius Black turns up on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride." Hagrid gulped then. "He wanted me ter give him Harry, he said he'd take care of 'im. Ha! But I had Dumbledore's orders to get Harry. Black gave up after a bit and told me ter take the motorbike ter get Harry to his aunt an' uncle's. Said he wouldn't need it anymore..."

"Thank goodness the Ministry caught up with him." Rosmerta said then sounding utterly relieved.

"Alas it wasn't the Minsitry, but poor Peter Pettigrew-that little fat boy that followed them around remember-got to Black first." McGonagall said.

"I'll never forget it." Fudge said then. "I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time-so I was one of the first on the scene." Fudge shuddered. "A crater so deep in the street that it had cracked the sewers below, bodies everywhere and Muggles screaming. And Black laughing there with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him...a head of bloodstained robes and a few-few fragments..." Fudge gulped. Silence descended along with the sounds of noses being blown and many mutterings.

"Well there you have it." Fudge said heavily, as if the words weighed tons. "Black was led away by twenty members of the Magcial Law Enforcement and Pettigrew was given the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

"Is it true he's mad Minister?" Rosmerta asked then.

"I wish I could say that he was." Fudge sighed deeply. "I met him on my last inspection. Most of the prisoners sit in the dark muttering to themselves but Black... He was shockingly normal. He spoke quite rationally to me, it was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored. Asked if I'd finished with the paper, cool as you please."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" Rosemerta asked. "Good gracious Minister you don't think he's trying to rejoin You-Know-Who."

"I daresay that is his er eventual plan." Fudge said shiftily. Arcadia knew that tone from the people who would try to find ways of getting out of paying her mother. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I shudder to think of what would happen if the You-Know-Who were to have his most devoted servant at his side once more..."

There was a chuckle then, a low and deep chuckle that sent the hairs on Arcadia's neck sticking ramrod straight. "My my everyone, that was a highly entertaining story."

A few gasps came from the table and Arcadia stood up, stepping around Sirius to stand against the wall, where she had a full view of the people sitting down and of the man speaking. Dashing stood behind Fudge's seat, staring around at everyone with a charming smile and narrowed gold eyes.

"Mr. Dashing." Fudge said in an icy tone. Dashing laughed at the cold glares the professors and Fudge were giving him. "It's been a great many months since your last trip to England."

"Hmm yes. I think I'll be staying as well for a while longer than usual." Dashing replied. Fudge narrowed his eyes at the vampire.

"And why is that?"

Dashing turned to McGonagall then. "Oh no reason...I am simply looking after my Arcadia."

"Your Arcadia?" McGonagall demanded sharply. Dashing nodded then.

"Yes. The girl is of great importance to me Professor Minerva McGonagall." Dashing replied with a mocking bow at the witch. "Surely Dumbledore told you so..."

"What's this now?" Fudge asked, looking from the professors to the vampire. "Arcadia...you wouldn't be talking about that girl Harry met on the Knight Bus?"

"The very same Minister." Dashing replied, taking a seat next to Hagrid who was growling slightly at him. "Such hostile reactions...one would think you don't like me at all."

"Arcadia's afraid of you." Flitwick squeaked then. Dashing laughed.

"And she has every reason to be. She doesn't yet understand..." Dashing's eyes suddenly focused on the wall were Arcadia stood and she got this horrible feeling like he _knew _she was there. "To be fair to the child, it was her mother's fault she doesn't understand. That woman was just too jealous though...and you've all witnessed the end results of her mother's jealousy."

"What are you going on about?" Fudge demanded to know.

Dashing chuckled again. "Never you mind Cornelius. I promise you it won't affect any of your workings. Her importance is only to myself...and perhaps that Lupin character..."

"What do you mean by that?" McGonagall asked then in her best teacher tone. Dashing laughed nastily.

"When it's time for you to know, you will know. Now I must be off. Thank you for that information Minsiter, professors. I am always happy when I stumble across unexpected information." Dashing rose then, gave another mocking bow, then started walking to the door. He paused when he was a foot away from Arcadia however and half-turned towards the adults, though his eyes were fastened on Arcadia. "Speaking of, what ever became of the little Snape child?"

Several gasps drew Arcadia's attention from the vampire eyeing her to the stricken professors now.

"How do you know about her?" McGonagall hissed angrily, her eyes flashing. Dashing grinned at her, his fangs flashing in the light.

"How do I know about anything my lady?" Dashing replied, cocking his head. "I haven't updated my information on him in several years, which is why I am asking. Did he ever discover what became of her?"

"We all know wha' happened to her." Hagrid growled then. "She died, along with her mum in a fire."

Dashing turned to the professors then and smiled widely, eyes gleaming. "Are you very sure?" He asked then swept away. The professors were left blinking in confusion while Arcadia let herself slide down the wall, hand on her pounding heart.

* * *

When she awoke the following morning, Arcadia looked around to find herself alone in her dorm. Sirius was laying in his human form on the foot of her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Arcadia sat up and rubbed at her eyes, yawning and wondering why she felt so odd this morning.

Then the events of the trip to Hogsmeade filtered back in her mind and her eyes found Sirius's. "You're Harry's godfather?"

"Yes." He said evenly.

"And you didn't tell me because...?"

Sirius shrugged. "I thought you would think I only wanted to get close to you to get to Harry." He said after a while. Arcadia sighed and shook her head. "You look like hell warmed over doll." Sirius said then. Arcadia frowned at him.

"I think I'm still getting over the near death experience." Arcadia muttered, remembering how close Dashing had been. "He knew I was there, Dashing did." Arcadia murmured then.

"Yeah he did. Vampires can smell people too remember?" Sirius told her only to recieve a pout in reply. He sat up and chuckled. "But he didn't attack you or anything. He didn't even stick around to follow us as we headed back to Honeydukes."

"No he didn't..." Arcadia looked over to find Sirius standing up and stretching. "And what he said...made no sense at all."

Sirius turned to her then with a frown on his face. "No it didn't. How could you be important to him or Lupin?" Sirius asked himself as he sat back down next to her. Arcadia shook her head.

"Dashing never told me stuff like that before. Never ever." Arcadia grumped and shook her head. "It's all so confusing Sirius."

Sirius pat her head and then got up again. "C'mon, I'll wait for you outside and you get ready. We'll go and visit Harry. He's going to need cheering up after the story he heard last night."

Arcadia grasped his sleeve then. Sirius's grey eyes met her obsidian ones as she asked quietly, "Was any of that true Sirius? Did you get Harry's parents killed?"

Sirius looked at her sadly before shaking his head. "I as good as killed them Arcadia."

"Why're you trying to get into Gryffindor for?" Arcadia asked then, not caring that Sirius said he as good as did them in. As good as was not a solid yes, therefore she figured it was something excuseable.

Sirius ran a hand through his long hair. "I'm trying to make up for it I guess." Sirius muttered. "Twelve years I sat in Azkaban...and I didn't even lift a hand against that rat..."

Arcadia saw him look off at the wall, and knew from his gaze that he was lost in his thoughts. "You're not here to hurt Harry?" She questioned as she got out of bed. Sirius gave a start at that.

"What? No! Never!" Sirius shook his head. "Harry's not the one I want to hurt." Sirius promised then with a manic gleam coming into his eyes. Arcadia was about to comment on that but then shook her head and turned to get some clothes ready for the day. The important facts were that Sirius was not here to harm Harry and Sirius hadn't actually gotten Harry's parents killed. Whatever he'd done to contribute to it was probably forgiveable. Although the fact that he did want to hurt someone who resided in Gryffindor was a touch worrysome, she didn't think it was anyone she would miss. So Arcadia wouldn't worry about it.

She had plenty other things to think about.

Like Dashing's words...

"I had forgotten about that." Sirius said a half hour later when Arcadia emerged from the dorm and found him in the hallway. Aside from Arcadia and a Slytherin boy, Slytherin house was empty.

"Forgotten about what?" Arcadia asked as they made their way down the stairs.

"Snape, having a kid."

"Oh right...Dashing said that..."

"Yeah. Freaky right?" Sirius chuckled before his face became grave. "Dumbledore told us about it when the kid was born. A girl he said, if I remember right. She died two years later. I heard about it in Azkaban. There was a story in the paper. One of the human guards let me read it. Apparently, someone set the house on fire. Magical fire that couldn't be put out. The girl and her mother died because of it."

Arcadia watched Sirius turn into a dog again and once more let herself ponder all this new information. She felt bad for her Head of House. That must have been the worst thing any person had ever had to go through.

Looking down at her gloved hands, Arcadia could understand why no one in Slytherin had told her about that. They probably didn't even know. Snape must have kept it quiet because he didn't wish to reopen old wounds once he had them shut.

* * *

_**And that's end for today. Hehe. ^^. Hope ya enjoyed as always!**_


	10. Silver

**~Still Doll~**

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Silver **

Dumbledore frowned down at the parchments scattered across his desk. He'd hit a dead end now that he knew Arcadia was not born as Arcadia and that her mother was not Dianthe.

Who they were was anyone's guess. Dumbledore didn't have the foggiest. His frown deepened as he thought of that vampire. He knew everything supposedly. Yet he withheld it for his own reasons.

_If I tell you everything...my own goals may be put in jeopardy..._

What exactly had he meant by that?

Just as the old wizard was about to call it a night, a tapping came to his window. He saw an owl fluttering there. With a flick his window opened and the owl swooped in, dropping onto the desk and holding out its foot. Dumbledore took it, fed the owl a treat then watched it flutter off into the dark.

The script on the envelope was unfamiliar. Opening the letter he spread it flat on his table and read.

_I do hope you haven't become too discouraged yet Headmaster. _

_I'm in the mood to tell more secrets. For the price discussed of course. _

_Why not let me join you this fine night? _

"Mr. Dashing." Dumbledore murmured, his frown growing ever longer with each word. That last sentence in particular. "Is he propsing I allow him into my school?"

Well all in all there was no danger. Apart from Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Arcadia there were only two other students remaining this year. That and Flitwick, McGonagall, Hagrid, Snape, Filch and Trelawney. Dumbledore could ensure the safety of twelve much more easily than a thousand.

No, the reason Dumbledore was reluctant to let him into the school was based on what he'd been told by McGonagall. Dashing knew something. Something of importance. He also knew about Severus's daughter, which meant he had to have been watching Severus for some time. Apart from himself and McGonagall, and he supposed Lucius Malfoy, no one had ever discovered Severus had a child. A girl, born in December, with hair that was a carmel brown hair and eyes as dark and deep as Severus's own. Dumbledore smiled at the memory of that little girl.

The knock on his door startled him out of his memories. "Enter." He called, checking the clock to see it was a quarter past eleven. The door opened to reveal none other than Severus standing there, an expression of extreme anger on his expression. "Severus? What is the matter?"

Snape stalked over to Dumbledore's desk and flung a letter onto the surface.

_You seem a man filled with pain. Is that due to your little girl, being swallowed by flames? What would she think of you now, do you ever wonder? _

"It appears Mr. Dashing has contacted you as well." Dumbledore said with eyes radiating cold heat. Dashing was the lowest of the low, to be speaking of Severus's child so.

Severus snarled and paced in front of Dumbledore's desk. "What does that vampire know about my-" Severus paused and Dumbledore sighed softly as Severus wrestled with the old pain. "How did he know?" Severus asked into the silence.

"He is wishing for entry into the castle." Dumbledore brought up then. Severus whirled on him then, eyes full of an old manic gleam Dumbledore also knew well.

"Let him."

"Severus-"

"I want him to tell me how he knows of my daughter!" Severus nearly shouted. Dumbledore let him calm down a minute before sighing heavily.

"It seems that is the only choice I have then. I did not wish to expose Arcadia to that vampire's presence anymore than necessary." Dumbledore pulled a fresh sheet of parchment, cut it in half, then scribbled quickly on it before holding it out to Fawkes. The phoenix cooed before taking the letting in his beak and disappearing in a flash of fire. "Come Severus, let us meet out guest."

Together the two wizards walked down through the silent castle, to the foot of the marble staircase. A second afterwards the front doors opened letting in a flurry of snowflakes and a tall hooded figure.

Dashing threw back his hood with a smile on his face. "Ah, I do love a good snowstorm." He said while the doors shut behind him.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Mr. Dashing." Dumbledore in a calm, cool tone. Dashing beamed.

"How good it is to hear those words again." Dashing replied.

"Again?" The word sounded brutal coming from Severus. Dashing's eyes narrowed in on him and a cruel twist had the odd effect of making his smile even more charming.

"Yes... I was a student here, many, many years ago." There was a hint of wistfulness in his words but Dumbledore wasn't going to take his emotions at face value. Dashing's wistfulness abruptly changed into mischievousness as he turned to the dark-haired wizard. "Severus Snape." Dashing chuckled, bowing to the man before laughing darkly. "An honor to meet you face to face at last."

Severus slipped his hands into his sleeves, hiding the way his nails bit into his arms. His face held its cool neutral expression with some difficulty while he nodded his head in response.

The vampire smiled.

"Well now, I should like a cup of tea. Mixed with dragon's blood and a dash of honey." Dashing said as he stood before Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded, turning and heading back up the stairs.

"Let us retire to my office where we may speak more privately." Dumbledore said.

Ten minutes later Snape was standing beside Dumbledore while Dashing sat in a chair before the headmaster, sipping on tea made just as he'd asked. "If you do not begin to speak soon, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave." Dumbledore said once the silence had started grating on his nerves. Dashing tossed his head a little so that his fringe was flicked out of his eyes.

"Oh very well. You're no fun at all Dumbledore. Makes me wonder what he ever saw in you..." Dashing murmured then set his tea down. A shark grin spread on his lips. "What did you see in him, by the way?" He asked and Dumbledore realized this was a secret he was wanting.

"Who?"

"Grindelwald." Dashing's shark grin grew wider as Dumbledore visibly flinched. "Hmm...perhaps there was something before, that isn't here now?" Dashing leaned forward a little. "Or perhaps you never had the chance to show him..."

Dumbledore shut his eyes for a second longer than necessary before opening them wide. "You asked what I saw in him." He said and Dashing nodded. "I saw my equal. A man who could best me at times, and who I could best in turn. I was blinded...by those feelings..." Dumbledore shook his head and kept his eyes on Dashing though he felt Snape shift beside him.

"Ah...first love. So powerful, isn't it?" Dashing asked, his eyes flickering up to Snape's face for a moment before returning to Dumbledore.

"You have a secret, Dashing, now it is your turn." Dumbledore replied.

Dashing picked up his cup of tea, took another small drink, then smiled more calmly this time. "Hmm...what to tell you today...?"

"Arcadia's true name." Dumbledore stated, making Dashing blink. "You will tell me her name."

The vampire laughed gently then and shook a finger at the old wizard. "Ah Dumbledore, that would ruin everything before it even began! I'm afraid that will be the last secret I tell you." Dashing chuckled now and in a quick jerk his eyes were on Snape's face. "So the information was valid. You have become Dumbledore's pawn."

Dumbledore began to speak but Dashing held up a hand to stop him. "Tell me young Severus...why did you become a double agent?"

Severus's nails dug into his arms again but he merely gave Dashing a bland look. "What does that have to do with anything?" Dashing smiled widely.

"Oh it could have nothing to do with it...or everything..." Dashing sighed, putting his chin in his hand. "Tell me, and I will give Dumbledore two secrets instead of one."

Snape blinked slowly, turning to Dumbledore who wore an understanding smile and shook his head. "There's no need to my boy-"

"Lily." Severus said while looking at Dumbledore. "I became a double agent to protect Lily Evans." His dark eyes flickered to Dashing who was sitting with his eyes shut, a smile of content on his lips.

"Love again. Funny how that keeps cropping up." Dashing mused, opening his eyes to laugh. "Well well, I'm having fun! So now back to business..." Dashing let his eyes move around the headmaster's office, humming lightly while Dumbledore and Snape waited for him to speak. At last Dashing stopped humming to grin once more.

"Arcadia's mother is part of an old American cult. The Order of Autumn Dawn." Snape's eyes narrowed to slits while Dumbledore's face grew even more lined with his frown.

"Are you certain?" Dumbledore asked making Dashing snort softly.

"Of course I am. That was a secret she told me, back in the early days of our acquaintance." Dashing chuckled. "You're familiar with the Order then?"

Dumbledore gave a short nod. "Many of their number were proven to be working for Voldemort in America. I even helped put away five of their number during the Death Eater Trials."

Dashing nodded. "So that information was accurate then." He said more to himself before turning back to the old man. "You missed a few in your roundups though."

"Yes we did."

Dashing took up his tea again, his eyes lowered onto the desktop while he smiled. "Well keep that one in mind while you contemplate this next fact. Arcadia is allergic to silver."

Snape and Dumbledore both looked at Dashing now while the man finished his tea and set the empty cup on the desktop. "That is a rare allergy." Snape said flatly while Dashing flashed his fangs.

"Yes it is isn't it." Dashing brushed a strand of white hair off his shoulder. "Perhaps you should see how severe the allergy is?"

Dumbledore curtly shook his head. "I will not put the child through such a test."

"Very well. You'll just have incomplete information I suppose." Dashing shrugged.

"Why don't you tell us something of use?" Snape asked then.

"Like?"

"How you discovered the existence of my daughter." Severus snarled as the vampire laughed brightly. His fingers dug further into his skin. Dashing's eyes fasted on one of his arms.

"That was very easy indeed." Dashing replied but didn't elaborate on the point, infuriating Severus.

"I want to know." Severus whispered, leaning on the desk towards Dashing. Dashing quirked an eyebrow then smiled devilishly.

"What are you willing to pay for it?" Dashing questioned him.

Severus stood straight and spread his arms to the side. "Whatever is necessary." Severus told him. Dashing's eyes glittered as he turned that over in his mind before sighing happily.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Dashing's fangs flashed again as he said, "Very well then. In exchange for telling you how I learned of your daughter...you must test Arcadia's allergy to silver."

Severus felt his face pale slightly. His hands trembled as he felt Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes on him. Bowing his head, curtains of sleek black hair hid his expression from view.

"Do you agree to my terms Potions Master?"

"...I will do so." He said and looked up to find Dashing reaching into his pocket to pull out a heavy looking silver medallion.

"And I will stick around to ensure that you do." Dashing tossed the medallion into Severus's hands, getting up and yawning. "For tonight I wish to sleep. Tomorrow..." Dashing smiled and if Severus hadn't just witnessed his cruelty he would have called it a kind smile. "Tomorrow is time for me and Arcadia to meet yet again."

Dumbledore began to protest then paused. For now Dashing was their only source of truthful information. He subsided with a heavy sigh.

"Very well. You may remain until the start of term." Dumbledore said instead and Dashing gave him a bow. "Caffy." The crack echoed in the room as the house-elf appeared. "Caffy, take Mr. Dashing to a guest room."

"Caffy be doing that Master Dumbledore!" Caffy squeaked, turning to Dashing and bowing before leading him out of the office. Once the door had shut, Dumbledore whirled onto Severus who was staring at the medallion in his hand. "Severus, you cannot be truly contemplating hurting that girl."

Severus closed his hands over the medallion without looking at Dumbledore. "You never had a child Albus...you do not know what I am capabale of doing in her name." Severus left the office then as well, his fingers tight over the silver medallion.

_I will discover who told this vampire of her. I will kept her memory safe from him. _

Severus sighed as he returned to his private quarters. Who could have told Dashing? His eyes narrowed. "Malfoy." He snorted after a moment. Lucius wouldn't have betrayed Severus's most precious secret to a vampire. Lucius didn't need a creature of the night to give him information. He had his own means of extortion.

Then who could it have been?

* * *

_There was something sharp being poked into her arm. _

_And the sound of snarls and growls filled the room. _

_A scent-what was that scent-pervaded the air. _

_Voices murmured but she couldn't make out the words. _

_And then something was pressed into her hip and she cried out as it burned-_

"Arcadia!" Black eyes snapped open to find Sirius's grey eyes looking down at her. Slowly Arcadia brought her scattered mind back together. She was in her dorm. She was with Sirius. Everything was fine. Nothing was going to hurt her. That thought led to her looking down at her arm. Nothing was there, no hole or cut or anything of the sort. She touched her hip then. She had another small scar there, one she even forgot about because it was so hard to see. It was small, crescent shaped and slightly discolored. "Arcadia?" Sirius asked her.

"Sorry Sirius. I had a bad dream."

"I can see that. You're covered in sweat and you were screaming something awful before I managed to wake you up." Sirius watched her continue to examine her arm. "What was it about?" He asked in a hush.

Arcadia shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around her head. "Someone was poking at my arm...and there were noises...and this smell...people talking...then they burned me." She explained while touching her hip again. Sirius's eyes widened.

"It was another memory?" He asked while patting her head. She nodded. "From before or after _that _memory?" Arcadia knew what he meant.

"I think...I think before." She shuddered and shook her head. "What did Mother do to me?" She asked in a small voice. Sirius watched her sadly as she sat with her arms around her head, her eyes staring at the blankets pooled in her lap.

"Come on Arcadia. It's time for breakfast." Sirius said gently as he pried her hands away and made her stand up. He smiled as she met his eyes, thought the sight of that doll-like expression never did fill him with joy. He ruffled her hair then stepped out into the hallway to wait for her to get all ready for the day.

When she appeared, Sirius had to blink. "Where'd that come from?" Sirius asked as he watched Arcadia's small smile turn into a frown.

"You mean you didn't get me this?" She asked as she tugged on the skirt of the black dress with white lace trimming and white puffy short sleeves. Steel buttons were engraved with rough-looking crosses and in her hair was a headband which had deep crimson roses attached to it.

"No." Sirius said as he touched a rose. It felt real but the petals did not fall away. "It suits you though doll." Sirius said then with a grin. Arcadia frowned for only a second longer before smiling softly.

"Well...I do like it. Even if it makes me look like a doll." She murmured and waited for Sirius to turn into his dog form before they entered the common room, nodding in greeting to the other Slythein boy before continuing on towards the Great Hall.

Harry looked up the moment he heard footsteps. His eyes caught sight of a pretty girl which he realized was Arcadia after a moment. She had on a pretty dress and was walking toward him with a soft smile.

"Morning Arcadia." Hermione said as the girl settled down at the table with them. "Oh! You look so cute!" Hermione gushed suddenly getting a better look at her. Ron looked up from his plate to gape and blink at her. Arcadia blushed at the scrutiny and turned to Harry who was grinning now.

"I don't remember you buying that one."

"I just found it today." Arcadia told him, tugging on the skirt again. "It is nice isn't it?"

"Of course!" Hermione said and Arcadia found her grinning. She laughed then. Well if her friends said she looked nice then she must look nice. And Sirius had liked it too. It didn't matter really where it came from then.

They all ate breakfast then they went up to Gryffindor Tower to hang around watching the snow pile in the windows and enjoy the big fire that roared all day. Arcadia didn't tell them about her latest dream/memory. She wanted to just enjoy her first Christmas with her new friends and Sirius her guardian dog.

All Arcadia asked for, from whatever entity was listening, was for an enjoyable Christmas. That was all she was asking for. Just one good Christmas she could remember if ever things grew bleak for her again.

_But they won't. I'm safe at Hogwarts. Mother can't find me here. Dashing hasn't tried to capture me and hasn't told her or else she'd be here already. So I shouldn't worry about what ifs. I should just enjoy every day I get..._

* * *

"Prince." Snape called then as he heard her passing by his office. He heard her stop, turn and soon she was in his doorway, wearing a dress that just made her look like a child's doll. He waved her in and she walked forward, her dog by her side.

"Yes professor?" Arcadia asked when she'd reached his desk.

"I am in need of assistance." Snape told her, pulling the medallion, spelled to look like bronze, out of his pocket. He could feel the eyes of the vampire from the darkened corner where he stood, watching. "Examine this and tell me what you see."

Arcadia blinked at the request but picked up the medallion all the same. It was an odd sensation, still, to feel things only with her fingers and not through the gloves Blaise had given her. The medallion felt cool as if it had just been rescued from a snow drift.

A spark of pain made Arcadia flinch. Blinking she looked at her hands to find her fingers looked odd. Had the medallion been painted? Was the paint rubbing off? Another spark of pain came then, and another. Arcadia's eyes widened as her fingers suddnely erupted in pain and she cried out, dropping the medallion while looking at her fingers. They blistered and were raw red. Some horrible smell was filling her nose and she groaned as the room began to spin. She shut her eyes.

Snape watched as Arcadia's eyes rolled back and her body gave a few unsettling jerks before she fell to the ground. Severus sprang up from his seat while Arcadia gasped for breath. Her mutt was barking and snarling, trying to separate them. Severus flicked his wand and the dog was muzzled and tied to his desk leg. Dashing strode forward then, looking smug as he knelt down and opened a vial of green-yellow goop that instantly relieved Arcadia's jerking and healed the burns on her fingers.

"You said she was allergic, not that it would hurt her." Severus snapped then while helping the girl into a more upright position. Dashing smiled and picked up the medallion, heading back into the shadows.

Arcadia groaned then and her eyes fluttered open. She looked tiny and helpless, which made Severus's gut twist in remorse for just a moment. "P-professor?" Arcadia asked, one hand going up to her head. "Wha... What happened?" Arcadia pouted suddenly. "Why am I on the floor...again?"

"The medallion reacted to your touch." Snape told her as he helped her to her feet. "You appeared to have some sort of reaction to it."

"It smelled bad." Arcadia said then, looking around for the metal. "Like...like something...toxic." Arcadia muttered, looking down at her healed fingers.

Severus pondered this as he gave her a quick check he'd learned from Pomfrey. "I noticed much of the same. I wished to see if it was only myself who did however." Arcadia nodded, dusting herself off. When her eyes met Snape's, they were slightly narrowed and full of distrust.

"I hope next time you'll find someone else to test for you." She whispered before nodding to him and turning to run out of the office. Severus relased the mutt which streaked after her with a bark.

Dashing emerged from the shadows again and laughed. "Well that was informative. Thank you Snape."

"Tell me how you know about Ciel." Severus demanded then, his tone deadly. Dashing grinned in spite of the threat.

"The same way I know about your mother. The same way I know about your love for Lily Evans." Dashing laughed as Snape drew his wand.

"I want an answer!" Severus's voice rose with each word. Dashing just laughed more.

"It's not time for you to know the answer. Not yet." Dashing looked towards the door. "But it will be soon. I promise Snape." He bowed and was gone before Severus's jinx could hit him. It instead destroyed his favorite chair, further adding to his displeasure.

He'd harmed a girl in his own house for the answer and that vampire had not given him one. Hands tightening into fists, Snape knew he'd have to tell Dumbledore and try to fix the damage.

* * *

"It smells horrible. Get it away." Arcadia gasped, eyes watering and nose burning as Sirius held a silver candlestick close to her face. Her skin was already turning a flushed pink, as though she had a fever. He pulled it away and set it back down, then knelt by Arcadia's bed. She'd run right into her dorm after the event in Snape's office. Sirius scowled as he remembered watching Arcadia jerk about and smelled the scent of her flesh burning.

"Silver hurt you." Sirius said then in a quiet tone. Arcadia gulped.

"I guess so." She agreed, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and blowing her nose. The smell still lingered.

"I thought only werewolves were in danger of silver." Sirius said thoughtfully while Arcadia spelled the hanky clean. Arcadia nodded and shivered.

"Do you think Professor Snape knew?" Arcadia asked in her small, scared voice Sirius shifted so that his arms were wrapped around her loosely.

"If he did, I'll make him pay for hurting you. Okay doll?"

Arcadia took in a deep breath, smelling the scent of shampoo and Sirius's own unique scent. She relaxed and nodded. "Okay Sirius." She pulled back to glare at the silver candlestick. "Why does it hurt me though? I'm not a werewolf."

Sirius shook his head and pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest, trying to block out the memory of the smell.

It smelled like trouble, like fear, like death. It worried her too. She could smell it and it hurt her to touch it, to even be too close to it. But why? Why did it hurt her? Why did she smell it?

Sirius was also wondering these same questions, his grey eyes narrowed in hatred. Snape would pay for what he'd done. Sirius would make him regret hurting Arcadia.

* * *

"She was burned. Her body reacted strongly, sending her into a seizure." Severus reported to the headmaster. Dumbledore glared at Severus who had the decency to look down in shame.

"Was it worth it Severus?" Dumbledore asked coldly.

Snape shook his head. "Dashing said it was not yet time for me to know." Severus let his anger rise and his fist hit the wall he stood next to. Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow as Severus refused to meet his gaze. "I merely wished to know... I thought Dashing would know of the people who attacked our home..." Severus rubbed at his face. "I was in the wrong."

"Yes. And you put the life of one of my students in jeopardy." Dumbledore rose from his seat and walked over to make Severus face him. "If ever you place your own wants and needs before those of a student under this roof, I will not only fire you Severus, but see you properly punished for it." Snape nodded, his eyes cold as well. Dumbledore let him go and returned to his seat, his magic rolling off him meancingly.

"We have much more to go on now." Dumbledore said after a bit. "Arcadia's mother is a member of the Order of Autumn Dawn. I have contacts in America who I have already written to and perhaps they can tell me more than what I already know. This reaction to silver is also key. I will include that in my letters before I send them off with Fawkes." The phoenix let out a mournful note that seemed to scold Severus as well while the bird soared to the old wizard's shoulder.

Snape watched Dumbledore work, trying to relieve his guilty feeling. He tried to scoff it away. Arcadia was of no real importance to him. Why should it bother him so much that she had looked so...hurt? Why should it bother him to know she would think twice about trusting him in the future?

He sighed when the phoenix gave him one more musical scolding then vanished in a puff of smoke and flames. Dumbledore caught his eyes and smiled grimly.

"You have made your bed Severus..." He said dismissively. Severus nodded and turned away, leaving the headmaster's office while still brooding over the girl's alarming reaction.

It was as if she were a werewolf-

Severus stopped and his eyes widened. Could she be? Perhaps her father had been one? She may have escaped the lycanthropy but inherited the werewolf's deadly reaction to silver.

He sighed heavily as he pondered these questions. The sight of silver would trouble him for many days to come.

* * *

_**A slightly shorter chapter but I think this is a good point to stop for the night. Arigato gozaimasu for reading! ^^. **_


	11. Confrontation

**~Still Doll~**

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Confrontation**

The first thing Arcadia noticed on Christmas morning was that she wasn't in her own bed. She was in a bed with thick red hangings and considerably warmer than the dungeons she'd gotten used to. Sirius was at the foot of her bed, his head buried under a blanket with only his nose poking out. She heard shuffling beyond the curtains and sat up, pushing them open to find Hermione digging into a pile of presents.

"Merry Christmas!" Hermione said while unwrapping a sweater. "You certainly slept a long time!" She added cheerfully.

Arcadia giggled softly and peeked under the blanket to see Sirius was wide-awake. "Good morning." She murmured while yawning behind a hand. Hermione smiled and hopped out of bed as Arcadia located her slippers and rubbed the last of sleep from her eyes. When she looked again Hermione was holding out a pink-wrapped parcel.

"I got you something, before you and Harry showed up in Honeydukes." Hermione said as Arcadia took the present and stared at the bright gold bow. "Happy Christmas Arcadia." Hermione added gently as she dug around in her bedside table drawer and pulled out a big bone. Sirius's ears perked up. "I got you something too Sirius." She said and Sirius happily took the bone, gnawing on it like a real dog would.

Arcadia smiled as she unwrapped the present to find a set of about twenty hair ribbons. She smiled as she went over to a mirror and took two green ones out to tie her hair into messy pigtails. Hermione beamed when Arcadia turned back to face her. "It looks like Mrs. Weasley sent you something to." Hermione said, holding up a bulkier package. "I guess Ron must have told her about you." Hermione replied when she caught Arcadia's confused expression. Arcadia went over and pulled the package open to find some pies, a bit of cake, some brittle and an emerald sweater with a snake all along the hem. Arcadia pulled that on as well, sighing at the feel of the warm, thick material.

"That was nice of her. Why would she send me something though?" Arcadia asked as she noticed Hermione holding two more packages out to her.

"Some people in this world are just kind like that." Hermione told her with a smile as Arcadia opened a box and pulled out a new dress, this one green with black lace. Arcadia stared at the dress then turned to the box to find a smaller box which held new stockings, shoes, a pair of black fingerless gloves, and another headband. This on had a big green bow on the side.

"Oh this is so cute!" Hermione gushed while Arcadia looked the box all over but found no card or mark or anything. "Who sent it?"

"No idea." Arcadia murmured as she opened the last package and pulled out a book. Hermione was looking over her shoulder. "It's a rune spellbook." Hermione murmured.

"Can you read it?" Arcadia asked and Hermione nodded.

"The title is; Rituals of North America. Huh. I wonder who sent it." Arcadia and she looked around the wrappings and such but again it held no note or sign from who it could be. "It looks fascinating."

Arcadia looked from the book to Hermione then held it out to her. "Would you read it and tell me what it talks about?" Arcadia asked her. Hermione's eyes lit up as she took the book and fingered the black runes that made up the title.

"Of course Arcadia!" Hermione smiled and Arcadia smiled in return. She looked at her little mound of presents and her smile widened. "Let's go see Harry and Ron now." Hermione suggested and the two girls called to their pets then strolled down the stairs and up to the boy's dorm.

They opened the door to find the boys laughing over something. Arcadia walked over with Sirius at her side to Harry's bed and sat down while Ron was saying to Hermione "Don't bring him in here!" Crookshanks was dropped onto Seamus's bed anyway while Harry grinned at Arcadia.

"You got a sweater too." He noted, bringing Ron's attention to them.

Arcadia nodded, looking at Ron with a grin. "Please thank your mother for me Ron. It was very nice of her. And my sweater is very warm." She added. Ron nodded and grinned.

"Did you get anything else?" Harry asked her. Arcadia was about to reply when she spotted the broom.

"Where did that come from?" She asked and Harry grinned widely, picking it up and holding it in front of Arcadia. "A Firebolt." Arcadia said, looking up into Harry's beyond ecstatic face and then ran a hand gently over the broom handle. It was exactly like the one Harry had taken her to see in Diagon Alley. And it was all for Harry. She smiled at the happiness in his eyes.

"Who cares?" Ron said then in response to whatever Hermione had been saying. "Listen Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" Hermione's shrill words had Arcadia blinking at her. Hermione looked-scared. Wondering why she was jerked out of her examination by Crookshanks launching himself at Ron. After that she hurried back into the girl's dorm with Hermione, listening to the girl rave about Ron trying to kick her cat while thinking back on Hermione's expression.

As they got ready for the day she asked, "What would be bad about riding the Firebolt?"

Hermione paused in the middle of her furious mutters to look at Arcadia with a grave expression. "It's just...so odd that someone would spend so much money on Harry isn't it?" She asked and grimaced before adding. "And it would be just like someone to do something to something Harry couldn't possibly refuse."

Watching the way Hermione's face darkened, it seemed to click together in her mind. "You think Black sent the broom, because he knew Harry wouldn't think twice about it."

Hermione jumped then nodded, pulling a brush through her hair. "It would be the perfect way to get to Harry you know. Harry loves Quidditch-well you saw how good he is at it!" Hermione frowned at the vanity table and then tossed her brush down. "I just don't think he should ride it without letting someone check it."

"Harry won't want that." Arcadia said, dressed in her new dress and adjusting the headband into her hair. "He really, really likes that broom."

Hermione nodded and sighed heavily. "I know that." She muttered as they headed down to the common room. Arcadia sat next to Harry on the couch, examining the Firebolt with him.

"I'll teach you to fly this one too." Harry promised her as his eyes traced the registration numbers.

"That would be nice." Arcadia told him, feeding a bit of ham to Sirius who was sprawled out very contently in front of the fire, his tail twitching every so often. He grinned at Arcadia when she looked at him for a long second then at the Firebolt. Making sure neither of the Gryffindors saw, he gave a very deliberate nod. So Sirius had gotten him the Firebolt...but Arcadia knew that only meant he was trying to make up for the loss of the Nimbus and all the years he'd never known Harry.

Still...she couldn't very well say that. She'd just have to let Hermione do whatever she thought of doing.

They went down to lunch a while after that. Arcadia paused in the entrance to the Great Hall, seeing only a single table with some of the professors sitting there already, the boy from Slytherin, and a first year from Hufflepuff it looked like. Snape, as if he could sense her, looked right up and met her eyes. Her fingers twitched, which made Harry look down at her since he was holding her hand.

"Something wrong Arcadia?" He asked, head tilted to the side as his eyes began to narrow with worry. She lifted a black-gloved hand and shook her head twice. She hadn't told her friends about that other day in Snape's office. She wasn't going to either. She didn't want Harry worrying about her or doing something stupid because of it. Sirius was already hellbent on making Snape pay for it. She didn't need Harry harboring a need for revenge as well.

"Just, everything looks so nice." Arcadia lied easily. The Christmas decorations really did look nice, and the reduction in people in the castle gave it a cozy, fairy-tale kind of feeling. She walked forward and sat down next to Harry, Sirius right by her side. He growled a little in Snape's direction before plopping down onto the floor beside her.

"Arcadia." Arcadia looked up and saw Dumbledore staring at her. "How are you today?"

Letting her eyes slip to Snape for a quick second she managed a smile. "Very well Headmaster."

He nodded and turned to Snape, holding out a cracker. Arcadia managed to ignore her Head of House's presence while she ate and talked with her friends and the professors. The doors of the Great Hall opened a while later. Turning, Arcadia spotted Trelawney standing there. The Divination professor strode forward, speaking in her misty voice. Arcadia tuned her out and picked up a sausage which she planned on giving to Sirius.

"I dare not Headmaster!" Trelawney's loud words made Arcadia pause. "If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

"But we're not thirteen." Arcadia said softly and everyone turned to her, most of them looking amused as she pointed down to the floor. "My dog's here too. So if you join that'll be fourteen." She said as Sirius jumped up and propped his paws on the table edge, giving a cheerful bark before taking the sausage Arcadia was holding. There were chuckles as Trelawney sat down, looking a little ruffled but that soon gave way to curiosity.

"But where is dear Professor Lupin?" Trelawney asked.

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again." Dumbledore said. Arcadia looked up in time to catch a quick exchange, consisting of a quick look from Dumbledore and a short nod from Snape. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"Surely you already knew that, yes Sibyll?" McGonagall asked making Arcadia hide a grin.

Harry held out a cracker to her then and she pulled it, laughing brightly at the confetti and streamers that flew between them along with purple smoke. When the smoke had cleared she turned and saw a little toy doll on the table. Ron gave a great snort of laughter while Arcadia picked it up and studied it.

"You think the universe is trying to tell you something Arcadia?" Ron asked, still chuckling along with Harry and Hermione. Arcadia tugged on the doll's brown curls and stared into the doll's glass eyes.

"I'm short. I get it. The universe can shut up already." Arcadia replied at last making her friends laugh more. She looked down at Sirius and dangled the doll in front of him then cast it over the heads of Professor Flitwick and Sprout and sent it soaring into a corner of the hall. Sirius got up with a bark and streaked after it. He trotted back with it proudly in his jaws and dropped it near Arcadia, tail wagging. She picked it up and saw Sirius hadn't put any teeth marks in it.

"Dolls are silly." She said then while throwing it and watching it land in near Snape's chair. Snape blinked then looked down at the dol, picking it up with two fingers. Sirius appeared suddenly, jumping and snatching at the toy. He nicked one of Snape's fingers in the process, making the potions professor give a short shout. Sirius walked back to Arcadia, the doll safely in his teeth. Arcadia pet his head as Snape growled in their direction and McGonagall gave a little chukle.

"Good Sirius." Arcadia said clearly while getting up from the table. Several startled looks were turned her way as she dangled the doll over Sirius's nose. She threw the doll again, watching it arch high in the air then land just outside the Great Hall doors. Head tipped back, she caught sight of the clear winter sky and the full moon hanging like an ornament to the side. "A full moon..." She muttered to herself before shaking her head and putting a hand to her temple. Brushing aside the sudden headache she continued on her way, kicking and tossing the doll through the entrance hall.

"Haha always the odd one, aren't you, Arcadia?" Arcadia froze, eyes growing wide. She turned slowly, hearing many cried of outrage and gasps as she did so. Sirius returned then, growling and snarling as he stood between Arcadia and the tall man that stood behind her.

Slowly Arcadia looked up and met the gold eyes of the vampire. Dashing blinked and suddenly he was right in front of her, having kicked Sirius into the wall.

"Dashing..." She said numbly. "How did you...get in here...?"

Dashing chuckled. "Well my good friend Dumbledore and I have been chatting you see. He invited me to stay for a few days." Arcadia felt the world spin a little. Dumbledore had betrayed her too? She told him, she'd told him all about Dashing's evilness and still the man had let him in? Dashing chuckled again and raised his hands close to her neck. She cried out, turning away and running towards Sirius. Dashing laughed as he watched her fall to her knees and wrap her arms around the dog tight, hiding her face in his fur. "What a welcoming Arcadia. Didn't you learn better than that?" Dashing asked, taking a step towards her.

"Back off!" Harry shouted, running over to put himself between the girl and the vampire. Dashing's eyes shined with mirth as Harry glared him down.

"Harry Potter. What an honor this is." Dashing said while dropping into a kneeling bow. Harry scowled, backing up so that he was closer to Arcadia.

"You're scaring her! Go away!" Harry shouted, wondering why Dumbledore didn't move to stop the vampire.

Dashing looked past him, watching Arcadia fret over the dog who was whining. The dog got up drunkenly then, wincing as he stood next to Harry, growling once again. The vampire smiled. "What loyalty you have inspired little doll."

Arcadia flinched again, getting up even as she shook all over. She was terrified of the vampire, yes, but she just realized this was her chance. Standing between Harry and Sirius she gathered her courage. For nearly five months she'd been living freely, happily, gaining new memories to cover the old, and finding in herself strength she hadn't thought she possessed. She had survived so much in her entire life, that facing a vampire shouldn't be so hard.

If only there wasn't that memory...

"Dashing." Arcadia said again, this time more strongly. "Dashing, the Dementors made me remember something." She shivered as his fangs appeared in his grin. "Something you did."

"I've done much little Arcadia. What exactly are you referring to?"

Arcadia took a step forward and her hands jerked upwards, moving to cover the space over her heart. Dashing's grin widened. "You...and Mother...did something to me." She whispered.

"Yes we did." Dashing replied with a laugh. "I hadn't counted on the Dementors uncovering that memory. I thought I'd have to wait for Dumbledore to figure it out." Dashing shot Dumbledore a snicker over his shoulder. "Going through the old man was such a pain. Though I did begin gaining some interesting perspectives..."

As the vampire laughed Arcadia felt herself losing her strength to face him. It had always been like that. Ever since she could remember. Dashing could make her feel just as helpless as her mother did. Arcadia was just a little girl before them. Useless, unwanted, easily ridiculed-

Soft hands landed on her shoulders and Arcadia blinked, looking up at Harry who was glaring venomously at Dashing. He was shaking with anger and his green eyes flashed. Looking down to her right she spotted Sirius with his hackles raised, doggy teeth bared. Arcadia couldn't help but feel suddenly safer.

Dumbledore had betrayed her, Snape had nearly killed her, and no other adult had tried to understand her. Her friends were nice, and they helped build up her growing confidence in herself but were too eager to hear the details of her life. But Sirius wasn't like the other adults and Harry wasn't like the other students. Harry looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and Arcadia gave a shudder of knowing then.

She had Sirius beside her, growling and snapping his jaws. She had Harry beside her, defending her. They hadn't let her down yet.

"Dashing!" Arcadia shouted, regaining her strength as Harry gripped her shoulders and Sirius shifted to move in front of her. Dashing turned, his lips pulling into a more genuine looking smile as he took in the sight.

"Yes Arcadia?"

Arcadia gulped but continued on. "Tell me why you stabbed my heart."

Dashing sighed and tipped his head to the side, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. "Very well. You're no fun at all Arcadia. But first...what are you willing to give me?" Dashing asked.

"What do you want?" She had learned from observing him that Dashing liked that response. It gave him free will to ask for whatever caught his fancy at the moment. Sure enough his eyes glimmered with glee.

"Arcadia-" Dumbledore finally rose to speak but she turned to him and glared.

"You will be quiet Headmaster." She told him coldly. "You let Dashing into the castle. You betrayed me." Dumbledore looked as if he wanted to deny it but Arcadia wasn't going to listen. You just couldn't trust adults to tell you the truth. At least not people like Dumbledore, who had probably never suffered a day in his life.

"Arcadia you must listen-" He tried anyways.

"I told you to shove it!" Arcadia shouted suddenly. Sirius gave a hearty bark which made her lips twitch for just a second. Then she shook her head jerkily and moved her hands over her ears. "I will not listen to you." She told him.

Dashing laughed boisterously. He even began to clap as he turned so that he was facing the people still gathered at the table. "Well done old man! You've thoroughly pushed the little one away! And look at that anger flashing in her eyes!" Dashing grinned back at Arcadia. "Such a good emotion. I am happy to see it finally in your eyes. I have not seen it in many years."

Arcadia felt her chest ache and she wrapped her arms around herself. "Tell me what I want to hear and your price." She told him just as coldly.

Dashing gave her a deep and graceful bow then. "Very well, for the truth behind my stabbing you, I want you to..." Dashing's eyes shined as he looked towards the enchanted ceiling and spotted the full moon. He strode forward then and leaned forward so that his lips were close to her ear. "I want you to visit Professor Lupin once I am finished telling you."

Harry's fingers loosened on her shoulders as he probably experienced the same amount of confusion Arcadia was feeling. Still she nodded.

"Okay. I'll do that." Sirius barked and whined then. Looking down at him she saw him shaking his head. He was saying no. She'd just have to ask him later why he was against that. Pushing his concern aside she watched Dashing pull back and study her.

"You look very cute in this outfit...just as I knew you would." He told her then, adjusting the bow on her headband. Harry yanked her back a few steps and Dashing grinned. "Jealous Mr. Potter? Oh there's no need to be. I have no intention of harming a single hair on that little doll's head."

"Dashing, I agreed to your price. Tell me why you stabbed me when I was younger." Arcadia said then. Dashing studied her again before smiling cheerfully.

"You discovered your mother's biggest secret and were threatening her with running away to tell the authorities." Dashing said then. "You were so cute and brave back then. Your eyes were burning just like they are now and your little hands weren't scarred then." Arcadia gulped as she felt her fingers twitch. "They were in fists and you were holding them in front of you. You really planned on running away and telling everyone your mother's darkest secret. So she knocked you out and determined it was time to shut you and your rebellious nature up."

Dashing smiled more calmly then. "She found a way to shut you up. A ritual. And in that ritual I had to stab your heart, to lock away your memories from everything before that moment, while your mother chanted the spell."

Arcadia felt her head swimming with the vampire's words. "So that's why you stabbed me? To-to lock away some of my memories?"

Dashing didn't answer but the smirk twisting his lips was answer enough.

"Why?" It was Harry speaking now. His hard emerald eyes met the vampire's without fear. "Why did her mother do that to her? Why was her mom such a monster to Arcadia?"

Dashing's smirk turned devilish. "Are you asking for information Mr. Potter? Remember I give nothing away for free."

Harry looked down at Arcadia who was shaking her head. She would gladly give Dashing every last drop of blood in her body for those answers, and now that she saw he was more intent on talking to her than taking her back to her mother, she would offer him that in exchange for everything he knew about her. But she would not let Harry do that. Not good and sweet and kind Harry who was defending her and standing by her side.

"Don't Harry." She begged softly. "Dashing would love to get the Boy-Who-Lived into his clutches. I'll ask him, and I'll pay him whatever he wants."

Harry frowned then shook his head. One hand came up and rested on her hair. "I can't let you pay the whole price on your own Arcadia." He murmured as he brushed her bangs aside. Arcadia felt her eyes prick with tears as she gave him a watery smile.

Dashing sighed dreamily then. "It's so good to see you returning to your former self Arcadia. And I would gladly accept payment from both of you in exchange for all the information you request." He bowed again while Harry and Arcadia looked at him.

"Dashing." Dumbledore's voice was cool as the vampire's gold eyes met his own blue ones. "You will not enforce whatever payment you extracted from Arcadia and you will not drag Harry into your dealings. We had an agreement-"

"Yes yes Dumbledore. Your secrets in exchange for Arcadia's." Dashing said dismissively, smiling when he saw Arcadia and Harry gaping at their headmaster. "Oh didn't you know? Dumbledore was willing to tell me whatever I wanted about himself, in exchange for all your secrets Arcadia. I already have given him a few. I was sure he was passing along the information." Dashing snickered at the end of that. Arcadia body began trembling with anger now. So that's how far Dumbledore's betrayal went? He had already started learning about her and hadn't told her a damned thing?

"I knew it." She said in the suspenseful hush. "I knew I shouldn't trust you adults. You always work for yourselves. Just like Dashing. Just like Harry's aunt and uncle. Just like...Mother." Arcadia covered her eyes then. "But at least Dashing doesn't hide it, like everyone else tries to." She added.

Dumbledore stepped forward then. "Arcadia please-"

"I said no!" Arcadia huffed. "I won't listen to you." Turning to Dashing she frowned. "I'll do anything you want, in exchange for whatever you told Dumbledore and anything else you can tell me about myself."

"I'll do anything too." Harry said then and Arcadia turned to argue with him but Dashing snapped his fingers and suddenly they were being forced to turn and face him. In a flash a shimmring dome surrouned them, which held up against the spells Dumbledore was casting at it. Dashing stepped forward and took their hands, joining them together before whispering some fluid-sounding words and then nicking both their palms, then his own and holding them together for a few second as the blood mingled. There was a flash and a sting then he let their hands go.

"You're now bound, by vampire oath, to uphold your end of the bargain." Dashing replied cheerfully. Harry stared down at his palm where a tattoo-like mark had appeared. It was red as fresh blood and in the shape of an X. Arcadia took off her glove to find she had one too and sighed. Another X. Great. She tugged on the glove again, glad that the black leather hid it from her sight.

"Dashing!" Dumbledore roared but Dashing just yawned and winked at the teens. "Now then, how about you go and uphold your end of our other exchange before we get down to what's going to be a rather long story."

Arcadia nodded, looking at Harry who was holding her hand firmly in his own now. Dashing looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore with a fanged sneer. "Too little, too late old man. That seems to be your modus operandi doesn't it?" Dashing said as the teens began heading towards the marble staircase. "You can't stop it now Dumbledore, or else they both will die." With that the vampire vanished from sight and Dumbledore rushed forward to see Harry and Arcadia heading up the stairs.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other then hurried after them.

"Wait up!" They called as they reached the two. Harry and Arcadia stopped. Sirius gave a snuffle and a faint whine. Arcadia knelt down to check him again for any broken bones or other injuries as Hermione and Ron caught their breaths.

"So what do you have to do?" Ron asked then as they continued on their way.

"We have to visit Professor Lupin." Arcadia replied, looking over her shoulder and seeing that a shimmering barrier, much like the one that had surrounded them just minutes before, was around them now, extending quite a ways all around them. She could see the professors following behind, blasting at the barrier which shivered but didn't bend or waver. She scowled in their direction and turned back to find Hermione gazing at them horror-stricken.

"You can't!" She squeaked. "Not tonight! It would be suicide!"

"What're you going on about Hermione?" Ron huffed. Hermione's hands were shaking as she shook her head.

"You can't because its a full moon tonight!" She informed them. Harry and Ron blinked while Arcadia tipped her head to the left. Hermione wrung her hands together. "And Professor Lupin- He's- Oh you just can't see him today!"

Arcadia took a deep breath as Sirius whined again and was shaking his head, his paw going up to his nose and his eyes round. He was trying to trip them up and slow them down. He didn't want them to go either.

"I'm sorry Hermione. If you don't want to come with me that's okay. Only I have to go. Harry and Ron and you can wait for me here."

"You're not going alone." Harry said shortly.

"Yeah! That vampire _wants _you to do that! So of course we're not gonna let you." Ron snorted. Hermione looked torn for a second before she took a deep breath of her own and nodded.

They continued on to the third floor, the shimmering barrier holding strong and Arcadia leading the way with a very perturbed Sirius still whining and shaking his doggy head.

At the door to Lupin's quarters Arcadia stopped, staring at Dashing who was standing there like a door attendant at a fancy hotel. He bowed to them all then opened the door, disappearing inside. Arcadia followed, stepping into the office, her friends close behind. Dashing was already waiting at the door in the back, looking as happy as a kid.

"Anything you have to say Miss Granger?" Dashing asked making Hermione jump at her name coming from the vampire. She opened her mouth to speak then it snapped shut with a spark of magic. Dashing was chuckling a little. "Too slow." He teased before opening the door to the professor's bedroom.

Arcadia stepped inside and stared. The room was sparsely decorated but cozy. The bed had the hangings drawn open and there was a lump under the covers. Dashing appeared at her side and gave her a slight push. "He's sleeping." She muttered.

"So wake him up." Dashing said as he turned to Sirius and grabbed onto his neck, holding him in place while blocking the way for Harry and the others to follow. Arcadia walked forward and reached out.

"Professor Lupin." She said quietly, putting a hand on the lump and giving a firm push. The lump let out a groan. "Professor Lupin, please wake up." Arcadia pushed harder and a growl came from under the blankets. Sirius let out a warning bark as the covers flew off and on the bed knelt-

A fully wolf with bright amber eyes. The wolf stood up and growled again, teeth looking much more menacing than Sirius's. It growled more as she took a few steps back, tripping and falling onto the floor. Sirius lunged forward, only to be yanked back by Dashing.

"Here come's the imporant part, so pay attention Black." Dashing whispered into his ear before tugging on him.

Harry, Hermione and Ron cried out as the wolf lurched forward, landing right on Arcadia. Its heavy paws pushed her down onto the floor and its teeth were very close to her neck. Arcadia stared up in frozen shock as the wolf stopped growling to sniff at her skin. It gave a snort then sniffed some more before getting off of her and stepping back a ways. Its eyes shifted to Sirius who was growling and making other sounds. The wolf began to respond. Arcadia slowly sat up, heart still hammering in her chest.

"Let us through!" Harry shouted now while pushing vainly against Dashing. Dashing turned his head to look down at Harry.

"Don't worry Potter. Lupin won't hurt Arcadia." Dashing chuckled as the teenagers gasped.

"That wolf is Professor Lupin!" Ron asked, eyebrow twitching. "But...but..."

Dashing shushed him then and turned to face the scene before him. He released Sirius and watched the dog stalk forward towards the wolf.

Arcadia too, watched as her friend came to her side, sat down, and continued to communicate with the shaggy brown wolf. Arcadia put her arms around Sirius.

"Professor Lupin's a werewolf." She said then, making Ron splutter and Harry gape. Hermione merely nodded, her fingernails digging into her palms.

"Yes he is." Dashing said.

"Why didn't he keep attacking me?" She asked him then while looking at the wolf, who was staring at her.

"Partly because of Sirius. Partly because he recognized you." Dashing replied and Arcadia blinked.

"How does he know me?"

"That's part of the incredibly long story I will tell you." Dashing said then.

Arcadia groaned, rubbing at her forehead. "I want the truth now. All of it. You have me bound by oath to ask for whatever you want. So start talking."

Dashing chuckled and looked at Lupin. "Oh I will. Once dear Lupin is back in his proper shape. Until then." And the vampire vanished along with his barrier. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the doorway, looking at Arcadia, Sirius and Lupin.

"I think it'd be best to leave now." Hermione said in a quiet voice. "The professors will get here soon enough."

Arcadia huffed and shook her head. "I'm staying here." She said as she curled up into a ball. "And nothing will get me to move." She pulled out her wand then. Harry took a step inside and to the side just as she waved her wand and the door swung shut and locked.

"Here." Said a voice and Harry felt his jaw hit the floor as a man with dark hair and bright eyes stepped forward, taking Arcadia's wand and casting a few more spells. "There, that ought to hold for a while." Sirius said while reaching down to pat Arcadia's head. The wolf whined and yipped at Sirius who smiled at it before his bright eyes focused on Harry.

"What the hell?" Harry asked, looking at horror at Sirius Black who was grinning a little.

"It's a bit of a long story...Harry." Sirius replied. "But we won't get any peace here." He said as he looked at Lupin then at the window. "But my spells won't hold for long and Arcadia looks like she would rather be anywhere other than here."

Harry turned to see Arcadia was staring lifelessly at the floor, picking at the dress she was wearing. He grimaced as he walked over and knelt beside her. Sirius Black was not important at the moment. Arcadia was.

"If you ask very nicely, I'll help you get to a safe place." Dashing called from the suddenly open window. Sirius scowled and balled his hands into fists before turning to Arcadia and scoffing.

"I hate vampires." Sirius muttered as he picked Arcadia up and walked towards Dashing with Lupin following him.

"Coming Harry?" Dashing asked and Harry was about to relpy angrily when the door shuddered and a thundering boom filled the air. "Come on my boy, I already got Ron and Hermione waiting." Dashing added and Harry growled himself before hurrying forward. Dashing laughed. "Now grab onto this please." He said holding out an umbrella. Harry did so as another boom filled the air and the door swung open.

"Harry!" Dumbledore called but then Harry felt some strange sensation behind his navel and he felt like he was being yanked backwards as the world spun dizzily around.

* * *

_**A very good cliffy ne? Haha. As always, hope you enjoyed! **_


	12. The Truths

**~Still Doll~**

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs.**

**Forgive me the cliffy but hey, I didn't leave you hanging too long did I? ^^ Enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: The Truths**

Harry gasped as the odd sensation ended and he fell over onto a carpeted floor.

"Harry!" Ron and Hermione cried out, hurrying over to help him stand. Harry looked his friends over and relaxed as he saw they weren't any worse for wear. They looked pale and worried but not harmed.

Turning around he saw the wolf being set down by Dashing. Harry hadn't seen him pick Lupin up. Sirius was setting Arcadia down in a chair. Hermione and Ron spotted Black in the next instant. Hermione let out a squeal while Ron made a sort of choked gasping sound. Sirius turned to them then and sighed.

"Calm down." Arcadia told them with a faint smile. "He's not here to kill Harry." She told them as Sirius smirked at her. He reached up and pat her head then, making Arcadia smile faintly.

Dashing chuckled as he rummaged around in a china cabinet. Harry looked around the room and saw it was a parlor. There were shelves full of all sorts of things along the walls and a large fireplace to the right. A few couches and a large, low table were set in front of the fireplace. Ron and Hermione returned to the couch they'd been sitting on.

Harry stood torn between them and Arcadia. It wasn't until he saw Sirius patting Lupin's head and Dashing pouring them all drinks that he remembered exactly what he was supposed to be feeling. Anger and disgust and lots of it. Because his parents had been betrayed by the wizard standing before him, looking much healthier than he had back in the summer.

"What the bloody hell is going on!" He asked the room at large. Dashing laughed and sat down in a high-backed chair. "I'll get to you in a second!" Harry promised before turning to Arcadia. "Your dog is Sirius Black!"

"Yes." Arcadia said simply. Harry flapped his mouth like a fish until Arcadia took a deep breath and sighed gently. "Sirius found me on my first night here. He found me laying in a garden close to your house Harry. I Apparated there for some reason. I was drained magically and physically and it was raining." Arcadia pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself.

Sirius passed a hand through her hair then and took up the story. "I was coming to see you Harry." Sirius said. "Not to hurt you, just to see you." He clarified when Harry's hads tightened into fists and his friends let out outraged sounds. "I was taking shelter from the rain under some tall bushes but I was getting hungry so I was planning on sneaking into a house. I saw her then. Just this little thing laying in the mud."

"For a second I thought about just leaving her be. She was old enough to remember me, to recognize me, to report me." Sirius said while his hand rested on her head. "But the next second I realized how small she was, and she didn't seem to be breathing or moving. Just laying there like an unwanted doll... I turned back into a man and walked over. She didn't move until I waved my hand in her face and she blinked."

Sirius ran his hand through his own hair now, sighing. "I couldn't just leave her there, so I picked her up and broke into an empty house. We were in luck, the owners were out of town. I took care of her until the Knight Bus came." The wizard smiled at Harry then. "I was only pretending to attack her. I knew you'd take care of her until she got to where she needed to go."

Harry nodded, remembering the scene in the alley. "You didn't worry about her telling anyone about you?" Harry asked him then. Sirius shook his head.

"While we were in that house, she recognized me, but said she wasn't scared." Sirius chuckled then. "I decided I could trust her."

"I was just going to leave it at that." Sirius said after a moment. "I had seen you and helped Arcadia. I felt it would be alright to just move on."

"So why didn't you?" Harry asked as Sirius stared off through a window. Wherever they were was getting pounded by a wicked snowstorm at the moment and snow was steadily piling up in the windows.

"I kept thinking about many things. You, Arcadia. If you were alright, if I should chance seeing you again." Sirius sighed. "I got greedy I suppose and so made my way to Diagon Alley. I knew Arcadia was alone, probably more scared than she let on, and I knew she was with you. I lingered around London, coming into the alley whenever I could and I would watch over the two of you. I saw you looking at the Firebolt, helping Arcadia shop. I got greedier and so I made my way to Hogwarts."

Sirius sighed once more before smiling a little. "Arcadia and I became good friends. I knew I didn't have a hope of seeing you much...until Arcadia brough me inside the castle. She trusted me enough to believe me when I said I didn't come there to murder you." Sirius snorted then. "If everyone would have just let me explain all those years ago...they'd know..."

Harry took a few minutes for all this to sink in. "You attack the Fat Lady then?" He asked. Sirius nodded, a sheepish grin on his face.

"I had gotten the password earlier, when Arcadia came back from Hogsmeade. But the Fat Lady found me suspicious and wouldn't let me pass. So I got a little annoyed and...took a knife to her..." Sirius scratched his chin. Lupin suddenly let out a bark and Sirius looked down to see his friend was eyeing him with a steady look. Sirius laughed.

"But..." Hermione spoke up now. "But if you didn't come to murder Harry... Mr. Weasley said you were after him..."

Sirius shook his head. "Not after Harry. I swear to you on your mother's name Harry." Sirius said then. "I swear on Lily's name that I wasn't there to harm you..."

"Then who were you after?" Ron asked now. There was a squeaking sound coming from his pocket and Ron lifted out Scabbers. The rat seemed to just be waking up. Sirius's lips pulled back in a ferocious grimace then.

"I was after the wizard who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort." Sirius said then.

Dashing looked at the rat now and his eyes grew bright with laughter. "Ahh...so that is what truly became of the rat..."

Sirius blinked. He'd forgotten there was a vampire in the room. "How'd you-? Nevermind..."

Dashing chuckled. "He faked it then."

"Yes."

"What're you two talking about?" Harry demanded as he moved to stand closer to Arcadia. The girl looked up at him apologetically. Harry realized he hadn't exactly spoken to her in a while and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Arcadia said then. "But Sirius took care of me. He didn't push me or prod me about my past. He's my friend." Arcadia explained, grabbing Harry's hand and continuing to look remorseful. Harry sighed then and ruffled her hair.

"It's okay." He told her gently. "I forgive you."

Arcadia smiled then and Harry turned back to the vampire and escaped convict. "You never answered Ron. If It wasn't me you were after, then why did Mr. Weasley say you kept saying 'He's at Hogwarts' in your sleep?"

Sirius took a deep breath. "Because the man I was after was at Hogwarts, very close to you in fact." Harry blinked. "You didn't even notice him I bet." Sirius turned to Ron then. "Let me see your rat Ron."

Ron blinked as Sirius held out his hand. "What? What do you want Scabbers for?"

Arcadia got up then and walked forward, taking Scabbers into her hands without a pause even as Ron shouted at her. Scabbers bit and scratched at her hands but she didn't release him from her grip.

"Arcadia!" Ron spluttered, getting up but stopping when Harry held out a hand. He was scowling but Harry knew he'd stay put for a while.

Lupin made a noise then, something between and growl and a snarl. That made Dashing laugh lightly. "Oh you don't like him at all do you wolf?" Dashing asked making Lupin growl at him before he walked over to Sirius and stared at the rat in Arcadia's hands.

"You have to explain first." Arcadia said then, looking up at Sirius. "What does Scabbers have to do with the man who betrayed Lily and James Potter?"

Sirius sighed and plopped down into a seat, with Lupin standing beside him. "That's a long story."

"We're not going anywhere." Arcadia told him, dropping down onto the floor in front of him. Harry blinked, his mind trying to catch. He settled for remaining standing, his eyes narrowed on Black. Until Black proved he was after someone else, Harry wasn't going to relax his guard. "Explain."

Sirius took a breath then nodded. "As you've all figured out by now, Remus here is a werewolf." Sirius reached down to pat his friend's back. "There's this potion called Wolfsbane, which-if Remus takes in the week before the full moon-changes him into what you see right now. A harmless wolf. His mind's still human even if his outside is not." Sirius paused then shook his head. "But when we were in school together, there was no Wolfsbane. Remus was bitten when he was very young. He's been a werewolf most his life. Every month he'd turn into a full-fledged monster. He didn't think he'd be able to go to school with us..."

"But Dumbledore became the headmaster and he figured so long as there were precautions and plans in place, Remus could come to school."

"The Whomping Willow...it has a secret tunnel under it which leads to the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore planted it there, to keep people from coming across Remus when he was transformed. Every month, Remus would get smuggled out of the castle and into the tunnel. He'd stay there until he was human again."

"Now then, Remus's friends couldn't help but notice him leaving every month. He would tell us all sorts of stories-"

"Us?" Harry asked, wondering where this story was going but paying close attention all the same.

Sirius nodded and a sad smile crossed his face. "Us. Remus and me, and our friends Peter Pettigrew...and James Potter." Harry told himself he already knew this information but hearing it from Black just seemed to make it more real. "Like I said, me and James and Peter couldn't help but notice our friend leaving us every month. For about two years we would wake up to find him vanished from his bed. Or we'd deliver him to the hospital wing. Sometimes we noticed a new wound or scar. We feared the worst, until we started going over Remy's symptoms."

Sirius laughed then. "When we found out we confronted him. He was so frightened that we'd desert him. Tch. As if we'd ever do that to our friend." Sirius looked down at Lupin who gave a cheerful bark then.

"We decided we wanted to help Remy in any way we could. We thought about it for a while then James got the best idea ever. If we couldn't be with Remy because we were human...we should become something else instead. We knew from our lessons that werewolfs were only dangerous to people but not to animals so we decided to become Animagi."

"It took us until about fifth year to manage it. James and me had to help Peter a lot. But we managed it. We each became an animal and we started sneaking out. Peter was the smallest so he could dodge the Whomping Willow's branches and hit this knot on the trunk which freezes the tree for a few seconds. We'd sneak out under James's cloak and transform then head down the tunnel."

"Remy said it helped, having us around. He started becoming more sane with us around."

"And soon enough we were wandering all the grounds and Hogsmeade, having fun, messing around."

"You went out with a fully transformed werewolf!" Hermione's voice managed to sound stern. Sirius laughed.

"We were young and reckless, full of confidence in our own cleverness."

"But that was really dangerous!"

"James and I became animals large enough to keep Remy in check." Sirius said before he grinned. "Course we did have some close calls, really close calls, but we'd always laugh about it later."

Hermione was shaking her head while Harry stared at Sirius.

"My dad became an Animagus." he said then and Sirius nodded. "What animal was he?"

Sirius smiled. "A stag." Harry couldn't help the twitch in his lips. "That how we came about our nicknames. I was Padfoot. Peter was Wormtail. Remus was Moon. And James was Prongs."

Harry blinked rapidly then. "Padfoot...Wormtail...Moony...Prongs... Wait...those names...they're on..."

Sirius laughed then. "Yep they're on the Marauder's Map." He smirked. "We wrote it together. I don't think any other student ever saw as much of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade as we did."

"Well that's all good and well," Ron said then in a hard voice. "But what the bloody hell does that have to do with Scabbers and Black coming to kill someone other than Harry?"

Dashing tsked then. "Now now Ron you should learn some patience." Dashing scolded teasingly. "I'm sure that story will lead into Sirius's explanation."

Sirius nodded. "I told you we all became Animagi. And Peter was called Wormtail." Sirius looked down at Scabbers. "Peter's animal was a rat." Sirius sneered viciously at the squeaking rodent in Arcadia's hands. "How appropriate."

Ron gaped at Sirius for a long second then snapped, "You're mental! Scabbers can't be Peter!"

Lupin walked over and growled at the rat, which cause it to squeak and writhe more. But Arcadia's hands were vices, keeping him in place.

"I can prove that he is." Sirius said. "Let me borrow your wand Arcadia." Arcadia stood up and Sirius grabbed the wand in her dress's pocket.

"But how do you know Scabbers is the right rat!" Ron asked then, looking at his pet with worry in his every feature. Sirius paused and looked down at Lupin.

"Remy certainly knows him." Sirius said with an ugly chuckle. The wolf bared his teeth at the rat, making it fight ever harder. "Before that though..." He pulled something out of his pocket then. In his hand was a clipping from the Daily Prophet. It was the picture of the Weasleys in Egypt. "I recognized him the minute I saw him. How many times had I seen him transform right before my eyes? And then...his paw..."

"What of it?"

Harry looked at the picture then at Scabbers and something clicked in his mind. He wanted to be sure though...

"His paw is missing a toe." Sirius explained. "See...when he 'cornered' me in that street full of Muggles, he had his wand behind his back. I knew the truth you see, so I had my wand out, ready to hex him into oblivion... But he got the slip on me, and blasted the street apart, cutting off his finger then transforming and scurrying down the sewers along with the rest of the rats."

Harry looked back at Scabbers then at Sirius before turning to Arcadia who was standing there calmly. "Do you believe him?" He asked her then. She'd been around Black a lot longer than any of them.

"I do." Arcadia replied, though she wore a thoughtful expression. "But there's still something I don't understand Sirius."

"What's that doll?" Sirius asked her.

"You say Peter betrayed Harry's parents...but when I asked you if you'd gotten them killed you said you as good as had." Arcadia blinked at him. "What did you mean by that?"

Sirius seemed to sag a little as he put a hand on her head again, his eyes meeting Harry's. "I was supposed to be James and Lily's Secret-Keeper. You heard everyone in the Three Broomsticks. They were sure it was me. But it was a ruse. I persuaded them to change to Peter at the last second. I thought it'd be the perfect con. Who in their right mind would ever believe James would choose weak, talentless, bumbling Peter over me?" Sirius let out a harsh bark of laughter and his hand tightened in Arcadia's hair.

"Prove it." Harry said then. He stepped up and put a hand on Arcadia's shoulder, reaching for Scabbers. "Show me that you're telling me the truth."

Sirius looked down at the both of them and his hand twitched in Arcadia's hair, moving as if he wanted to do the same to Harry before moving his hand to his side. "Hold him up." He instruced and watched as Harry held Scabbers by his tail in midair, moving Arcadia to the side and behind him.

Sirius pointed the wand at the rat and a flash of blue light streaked forward, hitting Scabbers dead on. Ron gave a shout as Scabbers hung in midair for a second then fell to the floor, still covered in the light.

The rat then began to stretch and change right before their eyes, growing up until a certain height then stopping. Soon a very human man stood before them, looking scared witless. Harry pushed Arcadia back a little as Hermione and Ron voiced their shock.

Dashing's laughter made them all jump and shiver. The vampire was standing now, smirking pleasantly. That never boded well in Arcadia's memory.

"Well, well, well. Peter Pettigrew." Dashing said as he stared at the man. "I never thought I'd see you alive again. I was sure you'd be killed before our next meeting."

"You know him too?" Harry asked exasperated by the vampire's all knowing-ness.

"I know many people young Potter." Dashing said giving him a pat on the head. Harry slapped his hand away with a grimace. "You see, he also owes me for some information I gave him many years ago."

"What information?" Harry promptly asked. Dashing smirked.

"Oh you'll figure it out eventually."

Harry glared but nodded. Turning back to Peter, he found the man pressed against the wall, staring down at Lupin who was growling and baring his teeth. His claws were flexing in the carpet. He looked prepared to spring on Peter.

"Right then. I'll try to make this quick." Sirius said as he turned to Peter. "You betrayed James and Lily didn't you Peter?"

Peter Pettigrew shook his head, still backed up against the wall by a snarling Remus. "N-no Sirius! H-how can you even say that!"

Sirius scoffed and took a step forward. "Don't lie Peter!" Sirius's hand tightened on Arcadia's wand. "Tell the truth to Harry, Peter." Sirius's voice held as much threat as a rattlesnake's rattle. He was ready to kill Peter good and dead but first he wanted the truth out there.

"S-Sirius! Y-you have no idea! You-Know-Who forced me too-"

"Don't lie!" Sirius let off a spell that burned the wall closest to Peter's ear. He let out a squeal of fear and made to bolt but a growl from Remus kept him in place.

"I-I... Wha-What was there to be gained from denying him!" Peter asked squeakily. "He was taking over everywhere! He would have killed me Sirius-!"

"Then you should have died!" Sirius roared as he let off another spell, this one warping the wall near Peter's waist. "You should have died rather than betray your friends! We would have done it for you, you worthless sack of skin!"

Peter trembled and shook his head, breaths coming hard and quick. "Tell the truth Peter." Sirius said again. "You were Voldemort's spy. You betrayed James and Lily's location to him. You're the reason they're dead!"

Peter tried to deny it but he burst into tears then and Harry had to look away.

"Yes, yes! I spied for Voldemort! I told him where James and Lily were hiding! It was me!" Peter wailed while Remus snapped his jaws at him. Sirius had a look of grim satisfaction on his face as he levelled the wand at Peter's face.

"I'm glad we got that all cleared up." Sirius said with a twisted grin.

"Ah justice, how sweet it is." Dashing said then, appearing between Peter and Remus. "Do forgive me Sirius, but like I mentioned earlier, this rat owes me. Ten years of interest have made the price much higher Peter." Dashing turned to Remus with a smile. "Down Professor, I claim this kill. But before I finish him off..." Dashing picked Peter up by the throat and carried him over to stand in front of Harry.

"Say you're sorry Peter. Can't let you get away without apologizing."

Pettigrew looked ready to keel over but he stuttered out, "I-I-I'm S-S-Sorry Ha-Harry!" Dashing laughed as he pulled Peter back into a corner of the room. "Close your eyes children." Dashing said then in a gentle voice. Sirius scoffed again but pushed Harry and Arcadia so that they were facing away from Dashing. Remus had turned away as well. Hermione had her hands over her face and Ron's eyes were squeezed shut, his arms over his head.

From the corner they heard the most terrfying laugh and then a squeal of pain, followed by several more. The sounds of bones snapping and flesh tearing filled the room. Hermione whimpered and pushed her still covered face into Ron's chest.

Then it all stopped and they felt a draft. They all seemed to realize the event had ended and turned as one to find Dashing pulling one of the windows shut. His shirt was missing but the rest of his clothes were free of anything. The only sign that someone had just been murdered was a puddle of dark stuff on the carpet and omnious spatter along the walls.

"Well that takes care of that story." Dashing said cheerily. "After a tale like that, I say it's bedtime. Come on now children, growing boys and girls need plenty of rest."

"You said you'd tell me-" Arcadia began but Dashing shushed her by putting a finger to her lips. Sirius pushed him away making Dashing laugh.

"Yes. But I also said Lupin needed to be human for me to tell you, didn't I?" Dashing held up his hand as Arcadia began to protest. "Tomorrow your dear professor will return to his human self and I swear to tell you all I know." Dashing led them to a door. "Now be a good girl and let's get some sleep."

Arcadia scowled but gave up. She did feel tired. It had been a long day. Nodding she and the others followed the vampire out of the parlor and into an entrance hall. A set of stairs led to a second floor, on which Dashing began to assign rooms. Hermione and Arcadia were placed in one, Harry and Ron in another, and Lupin and Sirius the one next to them.

The girls found nightgowns on the beds and paused to cast each other surprised glances before the mental exhaustion of everything they'd heard that night caught up with them.

Arcadia snuggled into her bed, pondering Pettigrew's reaction to her. What the bloody hell did that mean?

She fell asleep thinking about that.

* * *

The morning brought about piercingly bright light into the room. Arcadia awoke and sat in her bed, staring across the room at the large picture window. She saw only white and bits of branches beyond.

A house-elf appeared then, with clothes in its hands which it began to set up on the ends of their beds. It spotted Arcadia then and bowed. "Morning miss. Master Dashing told Ippy to bring the misses some clothes and bring the misses to breakfast."

Hermione stirred then and sat up in bed. She looked like she'd spent the night studying. Arcadia didn't fault her. She had been sure she'd have nightmares though...

The girls got dressed and headed out into the hall where they were met by the boys. A second later another door opened and Sirius and Remus came out. Remus looked pale and sickly. He was leaning on Sirius a bit as they joined the teenagers and followed the house-elf down the stairs to a door across from the parlor.

"Where are we anyway?" Hermione asked then. Harry smiled. Knowledge made Hermione feel better.

"Miss be in Master Dashing's English home." The house-elf replied. "We be a ways from London."

They entered the dining room to find Dashing sitting there, reading the Daily Prophet and drinking tea. Or at least they figured it was tea. They all took seats around the rectangular table and Dashing looked at them long enough to wave his hand at the food and began reading again. Sharing annoyed looks and sighs they decided they may as well eat.

"Dashing." Arcadia said as she spread jam on some toast. He looked over at her with a smirk. "Please start telling me my secrets."

"Aw you're so cute when you beg." Dashing teased making Harry shoot him a look. Dashing chuckled. "Down boy, I merely enjoy teasing the girl." He said with a smirk.

"Before you do, I want to ask what information you gave Peter." Remus asked then. Dashing shook his head.

"I was the one who told him where to find Voldemort in the first place." Remus and Sirius dropped their forks, turning to glare at the vampire. Dashing shrugged. "He was scared of dying, and willing to do anything to find a way to survive. He kept thinking of the Dark Side, of switching loyalties, thinking that would spare him." Dashing chuckled then and took another sip of his tea.

"He looked afraid of Arcadia." Harry said then. Dashing nodded.

"As well he should be." Dashing stretched and sighed. "Very well, I will tell you Arcadia's story."

"Arcadia was not born Arcadia Prince. She had another name, and a father that loved her more than he knew he could love anyone." Dashing began softly. "Except that the father wasn't her father biologically. He knew it of course, no matter how much her mother did to hide it. But that did not stop him from loving the little girl as if she were his own. To him, she was plenty more his than any other man's. He awoke during the nights to feed her, change her diapers. He would carry her when she refused to sleep, and bathe her no matter how messy she became. He was the one who began to teach her to walk, to talk, to play. He loved her more than anything he possessed."

"And then one night, he had to leave. He'd run out of milk. His daughter refused to sleep without a bottle of warm milk. He was trying to break her of that habit but he was a doting father and so he went out to buy some from the corner mart. He was gone only a few minutes. When he returned it was to see his house set aflame."

Arcadia looked at Dashing and felt her chest aching as she swallowed down her questions.

"Quit being vague." Sirius said then. "You got Arcadia and Harry under oath. You should at least tell them what the truth with details."

Dashing rolled his eyes. "Oh alright. I wished to set the tone."

"Just tell me." Arcadia said then, eyes wide and shining suspiciously. "Please."

Dashing stared at her long and hard then nodded. "Very well. This time I will honestly tell you the truth."

"As I said, you were not born Arcadia Prince. Your mother's name isn't Dianthe either by the way. Her name was Anna-Lee Dawn."

"Anna-Lee Dawn." Arcadia repeated.

"Anna-Lee Dawn was a young halfblood witch who was raised by her pureblood grandparents after her Muggleborn father was killed in a duel by her pureblood uncle. After that her mother was disowned." Dashing said now, holding out his teacup for a refill. "She was raised to hate Muggleborns and Muggles. She was born in China and raised here in England." Dashing took a sip of tea. "She was privately tutored and soon after she came of age she joined an American-based organization called the Order of the Autumn Dawn. The Order was created by Anna-Lee's great-great-grandfather for the purpose of supporting their family fortune and experimenting."

"Experimenting?" Remus asked, a frown wrinkling his brow.

Dashing nodded. "Namely on people like you and myself Remus." Dashing set his cup down and his face was very grave this time. "During the war was when Anna-Lee and her grandfather and uncle began ramping it up."

"How? And why?" Arcadia asked. Dashing sighed, sounding genuinely reluctant to continue.

"They joined the Dark Lord about ten years before you were born. He provided them with shall we say missions and ideas, as well as fodder for their plots." Dashing turned to Remus. "They were using creatures like us, who live for far longer than the average wizard, to try and unlock secrets to eternal life."

Remus's eyes widened then.

"Mr. Dashing?" Hermione spoke up then. Dashing turned to her with a small smirk. "Umm... Not to be rude...but what has any of that got to do with Arcadia?"

"Arcadia was born to test one of their later projects." Dashing said, stirring more cream into his teacup. Arcadia felt her insides freeze up as her friends stirred at that fact.

"She was?" Ron asked, sounding appalled.

Dashing nodded. "Anna-Lee began having children with werewolves for this project. One of them was Arcadia." Dashing turned to Remus then. "You provided the, material, shall we say?" Dashing added with a grin.

Arcadia's eyes widened more, turning to Remus. Remus was looking at her as well. "What do you mean?" Remus asked.

Dashing took another drink of his tea. "Anna-Lee posed as a Ministry worker, who was working towards werewolf rights. Do you remember?" Dashing said with a smirk. "She came to your door. You served tea. You turned away to find some honey when she asked for it. She slipped something into your cup then. Your memories are probably hazy after that. She seduced you. She came around three more times after that, and then no more." As Dashing spoke Remus's face grew paler than it already was and his hands trembled.

"You're saying...Arcadia's...mine?" Remus said slowly, blinking and staring at the vampire.

"Bingo." Dashing said with a laugh. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius looked between Arcadia and Remus with shock on every inch of their face.

Arcadia put a hand to her forehead. "Is that why silver hurts me then? Because I'm Professor Lupin's...daughter?" The word felt foreign in the context she was using it in. It just seemed do bizzare.

"Biologically yes." Dashing replied. "But he wasn't the one who raised you."

"Who raised me?" Arcadia asked now while Remus still seemed to be processing everything.

Dashing turned then and motioned at an empty corner. "You might want to join the table now Severus. It's time for you to know what you asked for."

Everyone gave a startled jump as Snape appeared suddenly, his wand in hand. He stalked forward slowly, his obsidian eyes alive with a gleam Harry had never seen in them. Arcadia flinched and shrank in her seat a little as Snape sat down across from her, a seat away from Remus.

"What's he doing here?" Sirius demanded, half-rising from his seat to glare at the man.

Dashing chuckled. "This story is part his story too." Dashing replied.

"Who raised me?" Arcadia asked again. Dashing stood up and walked behind her seat, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm getting there little one, have patience. I like my stories told with all the proper details." Dashing chided. Arcadia tensed, not liking his hands so close to her neck. "Now then...where was I? Oh yes...Lupin's your father, biologically. But the man who saw you born, who raised you until you were two...well that was another man entirely."

"See, after getting pregnant from Lupin, Anna-Lee went off the radar for a while. She had a perfect place to do it. She was the lover of a Death Eater during that time. Some poor man she fed pretty lies and convinced was your father. But he didn't know her as Anna-Lee or as a Minsitry witch. He knew her as Dawn Mercy." Dashing looked over at Snape then who was glaring at him so forcefully, Harry thought by all rights that he should burst into flames.

"You're lying." Snape hissed. "You must be."

Dashing laughed and shook his head. "Why would I lie Severus? You did what I asked you to do. You tested Arcadia's reaction to silver. You saw her fingers burn and her body flop to the floor." The Gryffindors gasped and turned to glare at Snape now while Arcadia lifted her hands and stared at her fingers.

"You did what?" Remus asked stiffly. Severus snapped his dangerous glare to Remus now.

"The vampire promised to tell me about my Ciel." Severus hissed at him now. "He knew about her. I wanted to know how."

"Ciel?" Sirius asked.

Severus scowled, looking away from them.

"Ciel was the name he gave to his daughter." Dashing said quietly. "Now let me finish the story before you ask more questions." Dashing scolded with a grin before letting go of Arcadia and walking slowly around the table, heading in Severus's direction.

"As I was saying, Anna-Lee was staying with a Death Eater who knew her as Dawn Mercy." Dashing grinned in Severus's direction. "Severus Snape was that Death Eater."

Harry felt as if a lightning bolt had struck him and he turned wide, green eyes onto the Potions Master who was glaring at Dashing.

"Holy shite." Sirius whispered, looking as thunderstruck as Harry felt.

Arcadia felt her head throbbing a little.

"Anna-Lee had no intention of going through the whole loving mummy song and dance," Dashing was saying now, "so as soon as you were born, she disappeared into the wind. You weren't of any use to her then. She left you with Severus here. And he took very good care of you. Gave you a pretty name and a pretty home."

Severus's eyes were devouring Arcadia's face now. "Her appearance was altered." Severus said then and Remus turned to look to at Arcadia more closely.

"Very good Severus." Dashing clapped.

"What about the fire?" Harry asked then. Dashing blinked then chuckled.

"Oh I was forgetting about that. Yes the fire... Anna-Lee's uncle set the house afire, while Anna-Lee took her daughter and Apparated away." Dashing explained. Severus's lip curled and his hands balled into fists but his eyes were on Arcadia.

"What was her name?" Hermione asked in a hushed tone, afraid to break the atmosphere building up. Severus opened his mouth to speak but Dashing placed his hand over his mouth.

"Not yet Severus. You must hear the whole story before you can call her that name again." Dashing said in a flat, serious tone. Severus looked up about to protest but the vampire's face was the most serious Severus had seen it as of yet. He settled for letting his eyes return to Arcadia's face.

"But if her mom didn't want her, why'd she take her?" Ron asked then, his confusion plain on his face.

"I told you before, that the Order was working on finding ways to make people immortal. That goal didn't change after young Harry sent Voldemort into hiding. Anna-Lee returned to claim Arcadia, who had not inherited the werewolf gene but did have an odd aversion to silver. She'd had spies watching her the entire time who told her as much. Anna-Lee took Arcadia to Canada where Arcadia joined her other siblings."

"Siblings?" Arcadia asked then, turning to Dashing in surprise.

Dashing nodded. "Siblings. Seven brothers, four sisters. Six of them had the werewolf gene, three of them were perfectly normal, and two of them like you had only inherited a certain aspect of the lycanthropy. Your sister tended to fall ill during the full moons. Your baby brother had extra sharp nails and teeth."

"Do they have names?" Arcadia asked then, a tightness in her throat making the words squeak. Dashing sighed as he moved over to her and kneeled by her side.

"Some have names." He said as he reached up to brush her bangs out of her eyes.

"Some?" Severus asked, not liking what that implied.

"Some. You see, for a time you and your siblings were safe Arcadia. Anna-Lee didn't begin experimenting on you all until you were seven. Your brother, Cassius, he was the first to..." Dashing trailed off, shaking his head.

"To what?" Arcadia asked him.

"To be taken to the lab...and die." Dashing said heavily. Arcadia felt her heart give a painful thump as Hermione gasped and the others stared at Dashing with disgusted shock on their faces. "That was the horrible secret you found out. You had been tested on just as much as your siblings by then. But you never knew why and you had learned not to question it. When you saw a dead vampire or werewolf, you had learned to simply pass them by."

Arcadia trembled and shook, shuddering and wanting to scream but the air had all left her lungs. Her head was throbbing now, a steady pounding, like a knock on a door. She covered her head with her hands then.

"One day though, you watched as one of your baby brother's was killed and I guess your little heart just couldn't stand it. You sat there, holding his little hand in your own. You overheard the Order members talking about what experiment they'd subjected him to. You heard them discussing you, and heard at last why you were all being hurt as often as you were. Your mother's dirty secret was that she was using you and your siblings for experiments in immortality."

Arcadia let out a whimper as the pounding travelled down to her heart, making her chest ache with every stilted breath she took.

"You were able to get up and run right out of the lab, screaming at the top of your lungs. 'I'm telling! You're doing bad things here! I'm telling everybody!' You shouted and you very nearly made it into town before you were caught. They dragged you back. They discussed disposing of you. They discussed making you mute. Locking you in a cell."

"I know all this because I was working there at the time." Dashing added softly as he pat Arcadia's back. "I had wanted to learn about the Order. I love knowledge after all." He chuckled and stood. "You'd grown on me a little by then. Whenever you saw me you would wave, because you were happy to see someone who didn't hurt you." Arcadia gave a shudder. "I heard them talking about you and they wanted to destroy your mind. Kill your rebellious thoughts. I stepped forward, and suggested they bind your memories up instead. Anna-Lee liked that idea the best."

"So I helped them look through some rituals before we found one she liked. The Still Doll Ritual." Dashing explained.

"Dumbledore guessed right then." Severus said into the silence.

"Dumbledore knew?" Sirius asked, outrage coming back into his grey eyes. Severus shook his head once.

"No. He guessed. Which was why he approached Dashing in the first place. To try and get some answers out of him." Severus said, eyes focused on Arcadia.

Dashing laughed loudly then, making Harry scowl at him. He didn't think this was a good time to be laughing!

"Ah Dumbledore. I played him like a fiddle." Dashing grinned. "I wouldn't have told him all this. His secrets would be nice to know but he'd become set against ending the Order and sending all those involved to Azkaban. They would all scatter and my plans would be laid to ruin." Dashing pat Arcadia's head then. "I have great plans for you Arcadia." Dashing chuckled. "Did you know I gave you that name? After the Ritual. Anna-Lee didn't want to give you one. But I insisted."

"**_You _**named me Arcadia?" Arcadia gasped the words out as the pounding continued on.

"Yes I did. Because I knew things about you even your mother didn't. Did you know that you were their favorite project? The experiments they tried on you always seemed to fail. They studied you for ages, trying to find out why. At last, about a year after the ritual, they discovered a mutated gene in your DNA which protected you from most maladies. And trust me when I say they had injected some of the nastiest viriuses into your little self. Illnesses that killed your siblings within weeks, would only made you sick for about a day or so and then you would begin to recover."

"You were and are the key to the first step in true immortality Arcadia. That was why your mother was so cruel to you. After the ritual, she decided to limit your testing. After every experiment, she'd take the renewal potion to strengthen the ritual's hold over you, and make those memories fade into the background of your mind. You became her perfect little doll." Dashing wiped at a tear that was falling down Arcadia's cheek.

"That's the whole story?" Harry asked when the silence threatened to choke them.

"Almost." Dashing looked down at Arcadia. "That night you escaped, you saw your mother kill a man she called Mouse. He was a member of the Order. One of your older brothers in fact. After seeing how successful the ritual was with you, she had it done on your remaining siblings."

"Some are still alive?" Arcadia asked and looked up at last, tears pouring steadily out of her eyes. Dashing pat her head.

"Three of them, now that Mouse is gone. A set of older twin sisters, and a younger baby brother who's about five now."

"Where are they? Can I see them? Does Mother have them in some awful place too?" The questions tumbled out of her lips as she reached up and grasped his shirt.

"Hush now little doll. I got them all free after I saw you escape. I'm still surprised you managed to Apparate to England, and to Little Whinging of all places."

Arcadia sniffled and wiped at her cheeks with her sleeve. "Why did I Apparated there?" She wondered then.

Dashing shrugged. "Magic works in mysterious ways that even I have yet to understand Arcadia."

"Is that everything now?" Harry asked, standing and putting an arm around Arcadia's shoulders. She sniffled more and the tears poured harder as he held her close. "Please tell me that's it." Harry added.

Dashing thought about it for a moment. "I think that is. And even if it isn't, well you are under my oath, which means I am duty bound to answer any other questions you might have." Dashing beamed happily then turned to Severus. "Now my dear Potions Master, you may speak that name which you gave to your little girl."

Severus licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed to wet his desert-dry throat. "I named my daughter, Ciel Lily Snape."

Arcadia let out a gasp as the pounding feeling vanished and instead she felt like she was being washed by an ocean wave. Her skin tingled and she shut her eyes, wondering what was going on now.

Images burst into her mind as she felt that cooling wave spread over her again and again.

Harry and the others watched as a light seemed to come out of Arcadia's chest and wrapped around her. They concentrated in different areas, making subtle little changes. The most noticable however came when the light touched her hair. It began to flutter around her and slowly changed from ebony to a carmel brown color. A cry of recognition came from Severus.

At last the light concentrated on the area over her heart and pulsed for a few seconds then disappeared in a rain of sparkles. Dashing was looking pleased and smug. Arcadia sagged into her chair, her eyes still closed.

When she opened them again, her eyes were still obsidian and doll-like, but their shape had changed a little. She was still crying, and her hair was laying wildly all around her, longer than it had been before.

"Ciel." Severus whispered hoarsely. Arcadia turned to look up at him and a smile twitched her lips.

"Ciel. My name's Ciel." She whispered before she shut her eyes and let herself faint. Harry caught her before her forehead hit the table. He tilted her head up as Severus and Remus sprung from the table.

Even in unconsciousness Arcadia was crying. Harry felt his own eyes fill with tears as he wrapped his arms around her and hid his face in her newly carmel colored hair.

* * *

**_Arigato gozaimasu for reading. I hope I answered every question. If not please let me know. _**


	13. Aftereffects

**~Still Doll~**

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**I thank you all for reading. **

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Aftereffects**

Arcadia awoke with a groan. She looked around and saw she was in a bed. It took a few seconds to see she was back in the room Dashing had given her and Hermione. She wondered why she was in bed.

Then she turned onto her side and Severus gazing at her intently. She blinked slowly as something tickled in the back of her mind.

"Ciel." Severus said and that was when she felt that tickling sensation turn into a flood. She shut her eyes and took a few moments to settle her thoughts. When she opened her eyes again she saw that Remus had joined Severus at her bedside.

"What time is it?" She asked, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. They felt itchy and sleep-crusted. She grimaced at the uncomfortable feeling.

"Nearly dinner time." Remus answered this time. "Dashing said you would probably take until tomorrow morning to awaken again. You did just get released from a six-year-long spell after all." He added gently. She nodded. Six long years under a spell from her mother.

Anna-Lee Dawn. A member of the Order of the Autumn Dawn. Dianthe. A murderer. Mother.

Instead of the fear she'd come to know, she now felt a deep, burning anger licking at her soul. She glared down at her blanket and flexed her fingers. That brought her out of her thoughts as she looked down to see she still wore her gloves. Pulling one off she looked at the old scar. It didn't seem as omnious as before. She still didn't like the looks of it though and pulled her glove back on.

"I am sorry." The words brought her head up. Her eyes met Severus's as he leaned forward in his seat, fingers digging into the wooden armrests. "I did not know you were mine." Severus's eyes were intense and they made her want to assure him all was well. "I would never have harmed you Ciel. _Never_. Please...forgive me."

She blinked at him, staring into his eyes that held the sheen of remorse in them. Truly it wasn't his fault. Dashing had been a bastard and not told him. Even she hadn't known really.

"I forgive you. You didn't know it was me, so I can forgive you." She said after a minute. "Dashing wanted to play with you. He likes doing that. It wasn't your fault."

Severus let out a relieved sigh and sagged into his seat. His eyes became less remorseful and more greedy as he continued to look at her. She looked away, unused to that kind of scrutiny. Her eyes met Remus's then. His eyes were just as greedy and profoundly sad.

"What's wrong?" She asked him as the minutes ticked by and the sadness didn't lift.

Remus gave a dry chuckle. "I didn't even know you existed until this morning. I didn't know I had a daughter. I feel cheated." He told her. She could understand that. She felt cheated to. She had not just one, but two fathers, and for most of her life she'd been deprived of both of them.

Severus's eyes flickered briefly to Remus before they fixated on her once more. "I felt cheated as well, when I believed you'd perished in the fire." Severus said quietly. She felt her eyes begin to sting and rubbed at them to stem the tears. When they subsided she looked at the both of them, smiling.

"But you know me now. And I didn't die in a fire." She said softly. "I have my memories now. I'm Ciel. They all called me that." Her smile faltered now.

"They?" Severus asked as he watched sadness shadow her face.

"My brothers and sisters." She said slowly. "Mother got rid of those memories too. All of them." She shook her head and sighed heavily. "Everything's changed all over again. My head gets dizzy just thinking about it." She murmured and rubbed her forehead for a moment then shook her head.

"They called you Ciel?" Severus spoke softly, his eyes taking in as much as his ears.

She nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe I told them when I was still little enough to remember. Maybe Mother told them, to save herself the trouble. I don't know. It was enough to keep being Ciel." She took in a deep breath and looked up at Severus then. "It is a pretty name. Why did you call me that?"

Severus shut his eyes, his hands flexing as if he wished to reach out. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that just yet. Most of her terrible secrets had been dealt with. Now she needed to deal with some of the new questions popping up in her mind, quick as lightning, soft as light.

"Ciel. French for Sky." Severus's deep voice was soft and soothing. "Because no matter what happens on the ground, the sky remains untouched." Severus added a little more gruffly and she appreciated how silly he might feel, explaining himself in front of Remus.

"I believe Lily was in honor of Lily Evans." Remus said then, just as softly as Severus had been speaking. Severus gave a jerky nod. She smiled and scooted out of her blankets to sit on the edge of the bed, closer to the two men.

"Lily Evans?" She asked, tilting her head and blinking at them.

Remus smiled this time. "Lily Evans. Harry's mother." Her eyes widened then making Remus smile more. "Before she married James, Lily and Severus were very good friends."

She looked at Severus who was sitting stiffly, his eyes shut and his lips pressed together tightly.

"But not after." She said simply. Remus shook his head.

"I wished to honor her either way." Severus's words were just as stiff as his posture. She didn't mind though.

"I would have done the same." Remus murmured then, looking at her. "Lily was kind to me too." He added more in an undertone. Severus's eyes finally opened as he nodded.

"She was always kind." Severus whispered.

She smiled at them softly for a while and they returned to studying her every feature.

"I wonder why her eyes are your color though." Remus said after a while.

"I told you, Anna-Lee altered her appearance." The vampire's voice was less annoying than usual as he walked from the doorway to stand at the foot of her bed. Dashing smirked then, looking more like himself. "Just after she was born, she cast a spell to make her eyes take on Severus's color and then cast a Permancy Charm on them, to further fool you." Dashing directed that last bit at Severus with a wink. "Doesn't look too bad with Remus's hair though." Dashing added as he stepped closer and picked up a lock of the caramel colored hair. "She really is a little doll isn't she?"

"Kindly take your hands off my daughter." Severus hissed at him. Dashing laughed then.

"Feels good to say that again doesn't it? The daughter part, I mean." Dashing teased as he let her hair drop and gave her a solemn look. "I came to say dinner is ready. But I also came to ask you something."

"What is it?" She asked, wondering if Dashing was going to start collecting on their deal. For as long as his vampiric oath was marked into her palm, she would have to do whatever he wished. She knew that. She also knew Harry, sweet Harry who was becoming a dear and important person to her, would suffer from that consequence as well. The dolt. Dashing could hold them as his puppets for forever if he wished.

It would be alright though, she thought as Dashing studied her. She would pay whatever price Dashing decided upon, however many prices Dashing decided on. She had the truth, and her memories now. She wasn't her mother's Still Doll anymore.

Really, that was worth more than anything to her.

"I need a vial of your blood."

Well that was unexpected.

"What do you need her blood for?" Remus asked while Severus's hand reached for his wand. Dashing cocked an eyebrow at them.

"For my research. I told you all this morning, I have great plans for Arcadia." Dashing chuckled then as he reached up to ruffle her hair. "Well, I should say Ciel now shouldn't I?"

"Her name will be whatever she wishes it to be." Severus said before she could speak. His eyes met hers and he gave a solemn nod. "Whatver you wish it to be."

She shut her eyes and thought through her memories. The ones from her time as Arcadia Prince, and the one from before, when she was still Ciel.

"Arcadia is the name of the me who was unwanted and sad all the time." She said slowly, finding the words to express what was going on in her head. "Ciel was the name of the me who was happy and loved. Arcadia had no one. Ciel had brothers and sisters." She felt herself blush but she didn't fear ridicule as much as he had only the day before. "But they're both a part of me. If I lose Arcadia, then I can't be myself. " She chewed her lip then before nodding to herself. "I want to be Ciel again. Because Ciel was happy. But Arcadia's going to be there too. I wouldn't be me, without both those parts of me."

Severus's eyes shined wildly for a second until he shut them. Remus was smiling gently. Dashing was grinning. She was still wary of the vampire as she looked up at him. She doubted she'd ever stop being wary of him. However, he'd done much to protect her, in ways she didn't like but still couldn't deny. He'd saved her from being turned into a catatonic lab rat, kept her heart and memories intact. He's saved her in his own twisted way. "But to Dashing, I can stay Arcadia." She said then and managed a smile for the vampire.

"Aw, how sweet you are little doll." Dashing cooed while ruffling her hair more. She brushed his hand away when he got too annoying. "Now then. Can I have your blood?"

"What are you going to use it for?" She wondered even as she lifted her right arm and held it out to him. Dashing procured a vial from his pocket while one of his hands clenched around her upper arm like a torniquet. She merely blinked as the needle pricked her skin and sunk into her vein.

"The Order of the Autumn Dawn isn't the only ones researching how to increase a person's life span." Dashing replied watching the vial fill and sighing heavily. "Ah what I wouldn't give for a taste." He pouted then.

"No biting." She told him sternly. He blinked then laughed. Once the vial was full he placed a thumb over the small prick and murmured under his breath. The hole sealed up and he shook the vial a little.

"You are looking for immortality as well?" Remus asked in hard tone. Severus stood up and pushed Dashing away, checking his daughter's arm. She smiled at him easily. "A bit of an odd mission for one who is already eternal." Remus continued in that tight voice.

"Yes, I am eternal, so long as I avoid a wizard's fire." Dashing said, holding the vial up to the light and smiling softly. "But I am not alive. My heart no longer beats, my breaths are merely for speaking, and my skin is as cool as death's river." Dashing shook his head. "You, my friend, are closer to true immortality. Your heart still beats with purpose and air is sweeter when put to good use. You grow hot and cool down. My eternal existence is nothing compared to that." Dashing turned back to the girl on the bed. "Arcadia is the stepping stone into that realm. Into expanding people's lives without need for Dark Arts. The Autumn Dawn researchers predicted Arcadia would live to the ripe old age of two hundred, even after all they had subjected her to."

"I can live that long?" She whispered in wonder. Dashing nodded and waved the vial a little.

"With this, I might even be able to make your fathers and friends live that long as well." Dashing said in the tone of a promise. "Maybe make you all live longer than that! Wouldn't that be something?"

"Why though?" Remus asked him as the vampire made to leave. "Why are you looking for a way to attain longer life if you technically no longer have one?"

Dashing's golden eyes glittered as he smiled pleasantly at Remus. "Because I have someone who will need it. Someone more important than anything. Someone I want to keep by my side always." The vampire turned his gaze back to the door. "Do hurry up. The others are already downstairs."

She stared after Dashing for a few moments. He had someone important to him? More important than anything? Huh...she hadn't thought him capable of that.

"If you're tired, we can remain here." Severus said now, hands at his sides. She looked at him then Remus and shook her head, standing up slowly to make sure she wouldn't fall over.

"I want to go downstairs...with you two." She said shyly. "Because you're both my fathers. If that's okay." She added much more quietly. There was a pregnant pause then and she worried she might have overstepped some bounds. Perhaps Severus was the one who deserved her more. Or Remus wouldn't want to share because of blood.

Then she felt herself being pulled forward. An arm came around her back and a hand rested on her head. Looking up she saw Severus was looking down at her with those shining eyes. Remus stood next to him, his hands flexing in her hair.

With one of the hard parts over, she readied herself for another. "Only Dashing can call me Arcadia from now on. In a way, that name belongs only to him now." She nodded to herself once more. "I want to be Ciel to everyone else."

Severus's arm tightened around her, his eyes nearly too bright to look at.

Nearly. She managed though.

"Then let us join our friends for dinner, Ciel." Remus said.

Ciel nodded and let them each take one of her hands as they led her down to the dining room.

* * *

"Isn't it going to be a bit weird though?" Ron asked while heaping potatoes onto his plate.

"What is?" Hermione asked, staring in mild disgust as Ron shoved a forkful into his mouth.

Ron tried to speak but he suddenly was being glared by Severus and decided to swallow his food first. "Arc- I mean Ciel having two professors for dads." Ron replied. Those slips were bound to happen for a while.

Harry chortled at that random thought. "Yeah it is." He said with a smile at Ciel, who was sitting across from him, sandwiched in between Remus and Severus and looking quite content.

"And how's that going to work out anyway?" Ron continued on, using his fork to emphasize his words. "Who's she gonna live with now?"

Ciel frowned then. There were so many arrangements to be made now that everything was out in the open.

"We will prepare for that in our own time." Severus said then. "You needn't worry Weasley, it is none of your concern." He added with a sneer.

Ron puffed up then, blue eyes narrowed and tips of his ears going pink. "Of course it's my concern." He retorted. "Ar-Ciel's my friend!"

"Our friend." Harry added with a frown of his own. "We want to make sure Ciel's gonna be alright."

Ciel smiled then, a much more easy-going smile than Harry was used to. He liked it though.

"You ought to worry more about the mutt." Severus said then with a look at Sirius who was sitting next to Harry. Sirius bared his teeth at Severus who sneered right back.

"You have to put up with Ron, Hermione, Harry, Remus and Sirius." Ciel said suddenly, looking up at Severus with only worry in her doll-eyes. Severus blinked down at her patiently. "Sirius is my friend, just as much as everyone else. And Sirius is Remus's friend. And Remus is family."

Harry grinned as Severus took a long, slow, deep breath and then nodded twice. "Very well." He huffed, though Harry caught the shine in his eyes at the sight of Ciel's smile.

"And all of you," Ciel said now, looking at all her friends, "have to put up with Severus. Because he's one of my dads."

Ron looked like he wished he could refuse that demand but gave in along with the others.

"Oh fine doll, I'll be nice to Snape." Sirius wrinkled his nose.

"Snape's my name now too." Ciel reminded him. She looked up at the ceiling then, puzzled. "Is it? What about Lupin? If I have two dads, does that mean I have two surnames now?"

Sirius and the Gyrffindors laughed while Remus also looked puzzled and Severus pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well that really falls down to Severus to decide, doesn't it?" Dashing stated with a chuckle. He'd been enjoying just watching how everyone was interacting. "Legally he's Ciel's only father. He makes the rules...unless he gives Remus partial custody and then they'd both make the rules." Dashing snickered. "Now wouldn't that be fun?"

"You're a very twisted arse." Harry couldn't help the words as they flew out of his mouth. Sirius gave a bark of laughter and Severus said, "Potter, language." Dashing was laughing along with Remus, Ron and Hermione.

"Very twisted, and I thank you for noticing young Harry." Dashing said as he toasted the boy with his glass of wine. Harry hoped it was wine anyway.

"We still have a term of Hogwarts to get through." Remus reminded them once the laughs had calmed somewhat. "All these big decisions can be made in the summer, when we have more free time to think. I suggest we spend the next few months getting used to one another."

Ciel beamed at him then making Remus pat her head gently. Harry noticed both Snape and Lupin acted as if she'd break or dissolve into nothing at any second. He was glad for that. It meant they really did feel something for his little friend.

"An excellent plan." Dashing agreed with another toast of his glass. "What about you Sirius? What're you planning on doing?"

Sirius gave a start then looked down at Harry who was looking up at him. They'd spent the day together after Ciel was taken to bed, and had talked about so many things. Quidditch and Sirius's escape from Azkaban and school and Peter's betrayal and so many other things besides. Harry wanted to keep talking to him, all the time. It felt wonderful having a godfather.

"Well with Peter gone now I'm going to have to stay under aren't I?" Sirius frowned as Harry's lips formed a pout. "We can't prove anything without his body..."

Dashing chuckled darkly. "Oh his body's still here. I didn't totally destroy it. It's mostly intact too. I only lost an arm." He mused while staring off at the wall. "Plus there's Veritaserum, Pensives and of course I have a few people in the Minstry who still owe me."

"Who doesn't owe you?" Ron blurted out.

"The smart ones don't owe me." Dashing replied, earning a round of laughs. "Let's see then. The holidays end in another week. If you want to be free to move into Hogsmeade, then I will need to begin working as soon as possible."

"What's it going to cost me?" Sirius asked warily. Dashing grinned.

"Ah! You're learning!" He praised making Sirius scowl. "Since you're all providing me with endless information and since I've taken a liking to all of you, I'll make this a very easy price." Dashing smiled. "I will help you clear your name and gain custody of your godson, in return for you solemn oath that you will protect Harry Potter from any and all harm." Dashing smiled at the shock on everyone's face. "He's an important part of the future. Plus I like him. The world would be terribly dull I think, should Harry Potter cease to exist in it." He really sounded honest too, which furthered the shock. Harry's more than anyone's.

Sirius spluttered for a few seconds before nodding vigorously. "I swear! Clear my name Dashing and I'll protect Harry until the end of my days."

Harry felt his eyes burn as he watched Dashing appear at Sirius's side, cut into their palms and whisper whatever vampire magic formed the oath. As the red X appeared on Sirius's palm and then melted into his skin, he had to squeeze his eyes tightly to get rid of the infernal burn.

When he opened them again Sirius was staring at him with overly bright eyes.

"That's that." Dashing proclaimed, heading back to his seat.

"How come our marks didn't disappear?" Ciel asked then, looking down at her gloved palm. Dashing laughed.

"Because I didn't will them to. I doubt Sirius will need the reminder to be a good guard dog." Dashing snickered while Sirius frowned at him. "Plus his is a lifelong oath. Yours and Harry's is less binding than that."

Harry looked at his own palm then before meeting Ciel's eyes. She was rolling her eyes and shaking her head. They laughed then.

"Everything's changing again." Ciel murmured, her eyes on her hands.

"We can handle it." Harry said then, reaching a hand across the table. Ciel blinked then placed one of her own in his. "We're not alone." Harry added, looking up at Sirius with a smile.

"You know what this means right Harry?" Hermione's voice said, bringing him out of his high. She was smiling though which lessened Harry's worry that he was getting a lecture. "It means no more Dursleys. You and Sirius can go live wherever you like." Hermione beamed then as Harry's jaw dropped open.

"That's...that's right." He said, head whipping around to stare at Sirius who was smiling. "No more Dursleys."

"Good riddance!" Ron cheered then. "Those Muggles were just the worst for you Harry. Now you get to live with Sirius and come over during the summer and we won't have to bust you out like we did last year-"

"Bust him out?" Severus asked, wondering what on earth Weasley was blathering on about.

"Er...uh..." Harry gave Sirius a quick look and saw the man's face was turning curious.

Ron took a drink of his juice. "Yeah! Last year his uncle put bars on his window cuz Dobby-he's a houself who was trying to warn Harry about the Chamber-he made a pudding explode in front of some Muggles and the Dursleys thought Harry had done it so they locked him up in his room and put the bars over his window."

Harry ducked his head as he felt the adults all turn to look at him. Then he felt a hand on his head and looked up.

"You'll never see those Muggles again." Sirius promised in a hoarse tone while his eyes filled with shadows. Harry gave a shiver then a slow grin spread his lips. Sirius grinned back.

"Happy endings." Dashing murmured then and stood up. "I had the house-elves prepare a spectacular dessert so do enjoy. I think I'll get started on getting Sirius's name cleared. The Head of Magical Law Enforcement usually takes a bath around this time. I'll just pop in. He usually does whatever I want whenever I manage to rattle him a little. The bloke hates my guts." Dashing explained cheerfully. "In the meantime, your best bet is to stay here Sirius. The rest of you should get back to the castle as soon as possible before Dumbledore heads to the papers with news of your vanishing."

"Oh I'm not looking forward to that." Hermione said as they watched Dashing leave and a trio of house-elves enter with a large three tier cake decorated to look like a Christmas tree.

"Let's stay until New Years then yeah?" Ron suggested while the house-elves cut the cake and gave Ron a piece with a delicately spun sugar ornament.

"That's up to the professors." Hermione said turning to them expectantly. Remus smiled as he and Severus looked at each other.

"Well it already is the 26th. If we contact Dumbledore he'll surely wait for our return." Remus reasoned.

Severus nodded and then looked down at Ciel. "We will return on New Years Day." He announced and Ron punched the air then dug into his delicious cake.

Ciel and Harry looked at each other then beamed and dug into their treat as well.

They had real family all of a sudden. So many things were happening because of that. The changes didn't trouble them too much though. Life could only get better from here on out.

* * *

Dashing home had an attic with a glass ceiling. It was a magic ceiling of course, so it was all one single pane of glass. The four teenagers lay on the carpetted floor the next morning and stared up at the sky. The winter sun made everything bright and the sky peeking through the clouds for the first time in days was a blue so pure it seemed unreal.

Severus and Remus were sitting at a table to their left, reading the reply they'd gotten from Dumbledore just minutes before. Sirius was with Dashing to their left, discussing the Head of Magical Law Enforcement's reaction to Dashing's claims and his subsequent demands for evidence.

It was all as unreal as the sky coming in through the dimminishing clouds.

"People are going to have a lot of questions when we come back." Hermione said then, reaching over to pick a grape out of the bowl a house-elf had given them and deposit it in her mouth.

"We'll have answers." Harry replied.

"As many as we want to give." Ciel clarified.

"Yeah and if any keeps bugging us, we can threaten to sic Sirius on them." Ron snickered then.

"Ron, Sirius is a person not a doberman." Hermione scolded.

"I'm pretty good at being both in case you hadn't noticed." Sirius called over to them. "I wouldn't mind giving a few kids a good scare."

"Sirius is a laugh." Ron said then with a chuckle.

"Black, stop encouraging them." Severus called without looking up from the reply he was penning to the headmaster.

Dashing laughed now. "Ah, what a picturesque family you make." He half-teased.

"Me and Snape? Family? Pah!" Sirius said then.

"Padfoot..." Remus called then, his eyes narrowed on his old friend. "You promised to behave."

"Yes Moony." Sirius grumbled.

"Good mutt." Severus couldn't help but add, making Sirius growl at him.

"Severus..." Ciel spoke up now. Severus smiled and waved a hand to show he was listening. Ciel smiled then. She didn't know if she'd ever call either him or Remus Dad but calling them by their first names was a start.

They had a half year left of school before they had to deal with any big issues so she laid back, her eyes on the sky, and enjoyed the moment for all that it was worth.

Dashing watched them all, knowing this was a calm before the storm. There were still plenty of things left to do.

He needed to end the Order of the Autumn Dawn for starters.

There were also Ciel's siblings to inform.

Not to mention all the media frenzy that would occur soon.

As well as Ciel and Harry's debts to be paid.

Oh yes, still plenty left to do...

* * *

_**Hehe and another chappy comes to an end. Still Doll isn't over though, not by a long shot. ^^. Stay tuned! **_


	14. Reactions

****

~Still Doll~

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**Haha I love waking up to such happy reviews. Gracias for reading! I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. My mom came home from her vacation in Mexico so I spent the day with her. You never know how much you miss some one until they're gone for nearly a month ne? **

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Reactions**

Dashing waved as they all took a hold of the Portkey in the parlor where they'd first showed up. Sirius and Harry were sharing a few last words together. Vampire intimidation or not, the Ministry still had to verify the memories, review Sirius's case, determine exactly how Peter Pettigrew had been slain-Dashing had claimed credit but the Ministry said they had to confirm everything-and then have the Wizengamot decide. Dashing promised to make them do everything by the book but that meant it would be even longer than expected before Sirius had a hope of being a free man. That didn't help ease Harry's worry.

"You take care of her alright?" Sirius told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's going to need you when all this hits the fan."

Harry nodded, looking over to find Severus was watching Ciel as she yawned and stretched. They'd been up late of course, bringing in the new year with new family and their friends. They'd been allowed to sleep in until eleven and then they'd gotten dressed, had lunch and been brought here.

"She'll take care of you too." Sirius continued now, ruffing Harry's hair. The teen smiled at the affectionate gesture. "She's purely herself now, which might almost be as confusing as having two dads." He added catching Ciel's eye and smiling. Ciel smiled back, though it was a very sad smile. Sirius could understand. Ciel had trusted him before any other, and he hoped she wouldn't feel abandoned now that he couldn't be by her side. She had Harry though, which soothed Sirius very much.

Ciel stepped away from the others now and walked forward. Sirius saw more life in her movements these days, ever since she'd been freed from the spell. She began to show some more of her own spirit, a fighter's spirit, which he had glimpsed from time to time during the last four months. With a smile she wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed.

"We'll write you every day, won't we Harry?" Ciel said and Harry nodded in agreement. "And Dashing's going to work hard so that you can visit us in Hogsmeade for Easter, right?" She asked the vampire who winked.

"I'll also be bringing you a surprise during your next Hogsmeade trip." Dashing promised.

"What kind of surprise?" Ciel and Harry asked in unison. Dashing laughed at that, reaching up to pat both their heads.

"Oh you'll see. Don't worry, it'll be a good one. Oh, that reminds me." Dashing dug into his robe pocket and pulled out a thin package. He handed it to Ciel who blinked at the light paper-wrapped parcel. "Consider it a late birthday present." He said. "Now hurry up, the Portkey's set to go in one minute." Ciel hugged Sirius once more and Harry turned to his godfather with a petulant expression. These last few days had been wonderful. They talked so much but there was still way too many things left to address.

Sirius smiled and pulled Harry into crushing hug. Harry was stiff for a second then he wrapped his arms around his godfather for the first time and held on with all his might.

"Harry," Remus called as the portkey glowed warningly. Sirius let go and ruffled Harry's hair once more then let him go, pushing him towards the others.

"Don't fret young Harry." Dashing said as Harry placed his hand on the umbrella Portkey. "I'll keep Sirius safe."

"What about our payments?" Harry asked then, eyes narrowed on Dashing. He might be their ally now, but he'd wait and see before passing final judgement on him.

Dashing grinned. "Oh I'll think of something eventually." He promised with a flash of his fangs. Ciel frowned at him then at her palm, covered with blue gloves today. She couldn't see the vampire's mark but she would do whatever she had to, to pay Dashing back. She was oath-bound and grateful as well. "Now...have fun!" Dashing called as the umbrella glowed steadily and Harry froze in mid-wave to Sirius as the sensation of a hook behind his navel tugged. They vanished in a swirl of colors and air that made Harry close his eyes.

When he opened them again he saw Dashing's Portkey had taken them right up outside the front entrance of Hogwarts. A few Hogwarts students jumped as they trudged up the stairs.

"Ah, you're back." Blaise said, spotting Harry when they entered the entrance hall. "Potter, where's Arcadia?" Blaise asked then. Harry looked at him then grinned and pulled Ciel out from behind him. Blaise blinked slowly as he took the girl in before a slow grin spread his lips. "There you are." He said.

"You recognize me?" Ciel asked him. Blaise nodded. "You sure you're not a Seer?" She asked then. Blaise laughed.

"I told you my Aunt is. She showed me what you would look like in the crystal ball." Blaise explained and Ciel's eyes widened for a second before she grinned. "So then...why are you sort of different?" He asked while moving towards the dungeons. Ciel stopped and turned to look at Remus and Severus. They both nodded.

"We will be speaking with Professor Dumbledore. Do not leave the castle." Severus ordered, looking sternly at the Gryffindors and Ciel.

"Yes sir." Hermione replied while the professors moved on into the entrance hall and up the stairs. The Gryffindors turned to Ciel then who took a small breath and then sighed.

"That's a very long story Blaise." She said making Blaise chuckle at her pout. "But since you've been good to me since we met, I guess I can tell you. Everyone will know the basics eventually anyway." She muttered as she turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Let's go to the library." She suggested. Hermione nodded enthusiastically and so they walked all the way to the fifth floor in a companionable silence.

Once they'd found a secluded corner of the library Ciel took another little fortifying breath. "Well for starters, my name is not Arcadia Prince. It's Ciel."

"So your name changed as well." Blaise commented. She nodded. "Do go on."

Ciel smiled. "Do you remember Halloween, when I ran all the way back here?" Blaise nodded. "It's because I saw a man I recognized in the pub. A vampire who I had often seen in my mother's home. He goes by the name Dashing. Dashing has known me for lot longer than I thought. He knew all my history, all those secrets my mother never told me." Ciel scowled at a bookshelf. "The short version is, my mother is a member of a secret group that is trying to find a way to become immortal. Mother had many other children besides me. She concieved us all with werewolves. Some of them inherited lycanthropy, some were born normal, and then there was some, who like me, only inherited certain aspects of the werewolf gene. Silver burns me and makes me go into a seizure. Dashing didn't say but I'm pretty sure silver would bring me to the brink of death if someone ever tried it." Ciel added with a frown.

"I'll look it up for you later. There must be some sort of record in here." Hermione cut in then. Ciel smiled at the brunette.

"Dashing also knew who my father was. Or, should I say fathers?" Ciel grinned at Blaise's questioning look. "You see, Dashing told me that my mother was a Death Eater's lover, but he wasn't a werewolf, so she went in search of one and concieved me with him, then made her lover believe he was my father before leaving me with him for two years to grow up some." Ciel's eyes flashed then with a deep hatred. Blaise smirked at the emotion rolling in her eyes.

"So you have two fathers now instead of one to search for?" Blaise asked. Ciel and the Gryffindors chuckled.

"Not exactly." Ciel's grin turned into a serious look. "I'm about to tell you something important and secret Blaise. If you ever tell anyone without my permission...I'll be very happy to turn you into lettuce and feed you to a turtle." Blaise nodded soberly and Ciel took in a deep breath. "I told you mother concieved me with a werewolf. The man didn't know about me until only a few days ago. I want the chance to get to know him." Blaise leaned forward as Ciel's voice dropped. "One of my father's is Remus Lupin."

Blaise's dark eyes widened and he let a soft whistle pass his lips. "Our DADA professor is a _werewolf_?" Blaise asked then. Ciel nodded, heart hammering in her chest. Blaise stared at her in surprise then smirked. "That does explain a lot actually."

Ciel let out her breath in a loud huff. Blaise took one of her hands in his own and smiled mysteriously. "I will keep this secret safe Ar-Ciel." Blaise promised. Ciel grinned. "So who is your other father?"

Harry let out a snicker then. "It's Snape." He said. Blaise's jaw hit the tabletop in his shock.

"_Snape_?" He whispered.

Ciel nodded. "Severus was my mother's lover. Mother left as soon as she was able and Severus took care of me, raised me. He named me Ciel Lily."

Blaise smirked now. "That's a beautiful name. Didn't know our professor had it in him." Blaise paused then before snickering. "Wait, wait, wait. That means that, not only will Snape strike us all dead if anything happens to you now, but so will Lupin?"

"I don't think Professor Lupin would strike us all dead." Hermione replied but nodded at the same time.

"We're lucky we're Ciel's friends then." Ron put in while fishing a cookie from his pocket. "Oh yeah, what're you gonna tell the Slytherins?" Ron asked around his mouthful of cookie.

"Or the rest of the school for that matter." Hermione pointed out, frowning at Ron for eating in the library. "I know you'd rather keep it between us but they will find out eventually." Hermione argued when Ciel frowned at the wall. One thing that hadn't changed so far was Ciel's dislike of people trying to pry her secrets from her.

She smiled though as she remembered something. "Severus and Remus and I figured that out. We're going to tell them my mom was Severus's girlfriend, but that he pissed her off and so she went and had a one-night stand with Remus. When she found out she was pregnant she didn't know who my father was. When I was born and she figured out I was Remus's, she tried to contact him but he was out of the country. So she changed my appearance to match Severus more. She got jealous because she saw how much more Severus loved me than her and split. She came back a few years later though and decided she wanted me after all, not to mention she hated Severus by now and wished to hurt him. So she set the house on fire, kidnapped me, and kept me ever since."

"Wow." Ron laughed.

"And you discovered that Lupin and Snape were your father how?" Blaise asked with a chuckle of his own.

"Dumbledore of course. He managed to track our movements and discovered a wizard who told him he'd helped Mother change my identity and gave her papers which hid all trace of my family. But of course Dumbledore is Dumbledore and he found out the truth." Ciel's eyes narrowed then. "And I will appear very grateful when necessary."

Blaise's eyebrow arched elegantly and Ciel sagged in her seat. "Dashing, the vampire...Dumbledore let him into the castle, even after I told him all I could remember at the time." Ciel's eyes hardened then. "Even after I told the professor I feared for my safety, he let Dashing in. He was going behind my back and meeting with Dashing, trying to find out my secrets. Dashing told him a few but Dumbledore never told them to me. I won't forgive him for betraying me like that."

Blaise laughed then, making them look at him curiously. "So that's why Rellion heard you tell the headmaster to shove it." Ciel blinked and Blaise snickered. "Rellion Harlow, the fifth year from Slytherin who stayed this year." Ciel's eyes widened then glimmered with a bit of laughter. "He was chortling about it when I came back yesterday and told me all about that little spat you had." Blaise grinned. "Seems you made _quite _the impression on him. He was hoping to speak to you when you returned."

Hermione laughed then while Ron and Harry shared a confused look. Ciel tipped her head and Blaise snickered once more. "He wants to ask Ciel out?" Hermione guessed, which sent Ron and Harry into splutters and had Blaise laughing outright.

"So it would seem."

"But he's two years older than her!" Ron said now. "That'd be like Fred or George asking her out!" Ron paled and shook that image from his head while they all laughed now.

"That's basically everything Blaise." Ciel said once they'd calmed down. "Remus and Severus are speaking with the headmaster now."

"So who're you going to live with?" Blaise asked then. Ciel shrugged but there was a smile on her face.

"For now we're just going to spend time together, get to know each other more. They told me to not worry about offending one or the other and to make my decision at the end of year feast." Ciel smiled much more brightly than Blaise had ever seen from her. "I have family now Blaise, and a place far from my mother. Oh! And I found out I have some older sisters and a baby brother somewhere out there still." Blaise noticed the sadness and pain creep into Ciel's obsidian eyes and reached over to pat her hand. Her smile trembled as she turned to look at him.

"Hey Ciel." Harry said to break the sad silence. "What was it Dashing gave you before we left?"

Ciel swallowed and fished the packet out of her cloak pocket. She opened it and saw what looked like pictures. On top of them though was a little note from Dashing.

_You asked if your siblings had names. These are the ones I mentioned. The twins are called Suzette and Elizabeth Sutherfield and the boy is called Artemis Ylvyn. Enjoy. _

Looking at the photos now she gasped. "My brother and sisters." She whispered as she looked at the three in the first picture. Suzette and Elizabeth looked about seventeen or eighteen. They were pretty with shiny blonde hair and big brown eyes. The boy had brown hair and hazel-green eyes.

"They're cute." Ciel murmured as she continued to look at the still photos of her remaining siblings.

* * *

"And that is all Headmaster." Severus finished with a very small curl of his lip. Dumbledore nodded as he thought over everything he had heard.

Remus caught Severus's eye then as Dumbledore got up to pace. Severus cocked an eyebrow then blinked very slowly. Remus gave a small shift of his head that could be called a nod. They had mutually decided that they would give Dumbledore as many truthful facts as possible. They used the name Severus had known her by however, and they hadn't mentioned anything at all about the Order of Autumn Dawn. In Dumbledore's ears, the story was that of a jealous and insecure lover who cheated on Severus with Remus to hurt him, then she left Ciel in Severus's care, only to return to steal Ciel to further hurt the man.

A case of a bitter woman harming Ciel in lieu of hurting Severus. Simple as that.

"Very well Remus, Severus." Dumbledore said as he settled into his seat. "Although from Dashing's actions, it would seem there was more to the story than just that." He pinned them both with a look which they both met unflinchingly. Dumbledore wouldn't probe their minds if they showed him their utter lack of trying to hide.

"If there is, then it must be of the vampire's design." Severus said after a moment. "That is all we were told however."

"Hmm..." Dumbledore rose from his seat then. "And Arcadia has siblings you say?"

"Ciel." Remus corrected. "Yes. Twin sister and a younger brother."

"Has she met with them?"

"No." Severus replied. "Dashing told us he would tell them of Ciel's location."

"I see." Dumbledore sighed. "Well then as far as Arcadia's concerned, the mystery is solved."

"Ciel." Severus corrected this time. "She is Ciel." He added a bit more firmly when Dumbledore's blue eyes landed on him. "It is the name I gave her as a child, it is the name she has chosen to have once more."

"Ciel." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Now that all the facts are out, what will you being doing about Ciel?" He asked then.

Remus shifted a little, his amber eyes full of the same warmth as his smile. "We spoke and came to the decision that we will spend the rest of the year getting to know each other. Ciel will choose who she wishes to see more of. She has allowed me the chance to get to know her as well, evening knowing full well what I am."

"She knows?" Dumbledore asked then. Remus didn't miss a beat, like Severus half-thought he would.

"I am responsible for her deadly aversion to silver. I had to explain." Remus murmured.

Dumbledore nodded then and seemed to slip into another train of thought before smiling at the two men. "Well if you so wish, I can find a way to make your lives much easier while you all become acquainted with each other."

"Yes?" Remus asked when Dumbledore paused.

"Well, it is a custom to allow professors with children in school to share private quarters with them. Perhaps, in the three of you sharing a set of rooms, you may see if living together would be possible at all."

Severus and Remus shared a look. They were surprised to say the least. They hadn't thought of that. So far they'd been planning on simply spending afternoons or free periods with Ciel, trading on and off and letting her see them in that manner. What the headmaster was proposing though...well it made good sense. Ciel was a mystery to them both as a daughter, though Severus probably had a little of a head start because he had some experience with her.

"Would that be possible?" Remus wondered. Dumbledore laughed kindly.

"Remus my boy, I am not headmaster of this school for nothing." Dumbledore replied.

"We should speak to Ciel first." Severus said then, standing up from his seat. "It will be up to her to decide if she is willing to take such a large step so soon after learning all that she has."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very true Severus. Speak to Ciel and then come to me with your answers."

The two professors nodded and left, heading down the stairs in silence.

"Living with Ciel." Remus mused on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. "What a thought."

"I would enjoy that." Severus muttered to himself. "It would be regaining what was lost."

They both turned towards the Slytherin table where Ciel was being surrounded by several of the Slytherins. Blaise was standing next to her, chuckling and keeping the Slytherins from crowding in on her. As they passed up to the Heads tables they heard one second year exclaim, "You really told the Headmaster to shove it!"

"He was getting on my nerves." Ciel replied in a cool tone. Her eyes were empty of any warmth. They were cool, bottomless pits at the moment. "He betrayed the trust I had in him. I won't forgive him for that."

"Good for you." One of the elder students said. "Always knew you couldn't trust Gryffindors." The boy added.

"That's not true." Ciel said then, her hard voice directed on the boy. "You can sometimes trust your enemies to be more honest than your allies." She said then and her eyes turned skyward before she shook her head and turned to find her fathers watching her. She raised a hand and waved, a smile replacing the hard lines of anger. Several heads turned their way and Remus chuckled, waving back while Severus gave her a steady look and then a nod. Murmurs came up then but Ciel was already standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go visit with my Gryffindor friends. Blaise can answer anything else, I already gave him all the facts."

She got up and passed in front of the teachers tables.

"Ciel." Severus called clearly over the small din of the students who'd returned. Several fell silent as Ciel paused and turned to him. He beckoned her with a curl of his finger and she hopped up the steps, coming to stand in front of him and Remus.

"Yes Severus?" She asked when she felt the eyes of everyone glueing onto her back.

"We have need to speak about the meal. You will head to-" He paused, thinking of saying his office until he remembered what he'd done there. "Lupin's office." he decided. Ciel nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you then." She smiled gently and then hopped down the steps and continued to the Gryffindor table where Harry was scooting over to make space for her. Watching her laugh as Ron was scolded by Hermione made both professors peaceful.

Things were as they should be.

* * *

Ciel knocked when she reached Remus's office, then opened it and peeked around the door to find her father's already there. She'd been sure she'd left before Remus though...

"Come in Ciel." Remus said with a chuckle and she walked in, shutting the door firmly behind her. She sat down in the empty chair in front of Remus's desk as she waited for them to speak. At last Severus turned to her.

"The headmaster has been informed of all that was relevant to him." Severus said then.

"Except for Sirius of course." Remus quickly added. Severus nodded.

"He has proposed a way for us to become more familiar with one another during the remaining term." Severus continued on. Ciel tipped her head as she listened. "Professors are often allowed to share private quarters with their children when those children are students. Although our situation is more complex than others, he has still offered this recourse to us. If you are agreeable to it of course." Severus fell silent then at the look on Ciel's face.

"You'd... You'd want to share rooms with each other?" She asked then, a small grin tugging on her lips as she let her eyes dart between them. "_And _me?" She asked when the men merely looked at each other.

"Of course Ciel." Remus replied gently. He strode forward to place a hand on her shoulder. "My blood is in you. You are of my flesh. My own daughter. I would do anything for a chance of knowing you."

Ciel's eyes became bright and she had to look down at her lap. Her fingers twitched until they were rubbing along the backs of the gloves, in the same pattern as her scars.

"I may not hold biological claim," Severus spoke up then, "but you are mine in all the ways I consider most important. It was I who held you through long nights and cared for you. If you wish it...I wish to do so once more."

Ciel swallowed down the lump and looked up to find them both standing on either side of her seat, looking at her patiently. It was going to take a while to get used to all this caring and the fact that even though Remus had never known her and Severus wasn't her real father, they still wanted something to do with her.

She took a deep breath and smiled. "I...I would like that. To try it. You'll have to forgive me if I do things you don't like." She murmured.

Remus chuckled. "I doubt there is very much you can to do that we will dislike."

"Except dating." Severus brought up in a serious tone that had both Remus and Ciel looking at him. "You are much too young to be dating."

Ciel stared at him a moment longer then she couldn't hold back the snort and giggles that came afterwards. She continued to laugh until her stomach began to ache. Somewhere along the way her eyes began to water. It was the lack of oxygen of course, because she had absolutely no reason to be crying like a baby at the moment. She was feeling perfectly excited and content.

* * *

"Here we go." Remus said as they walked to the portrait of a garden in which sat a white tiger.

"Why a tiger?" Severus asked as the creature strode closer to them.

"Password?" The tiger asked.

"I like it." Ciel said before smiling. "Kamphora." She told the tiger who nodded and the portrait swung forward.

It was the night before classes were due to begin and so they had all decided tonight would be a good night to move into their new space. The room was on the second floor, closer to the back of the castle. The way to reach it was hidden behind a false wall to give maximum privacy.

As they stepped inside they got a glimpse of the sitting area. It was small and cozy, with matching couche, and armchairs, and then a corner piled with pillows and cushions under a window that overlooked the forest. Ciel went right over to that and tossed herself down in it. She squirmed around a few seconds before settling down. Severus and Remus watched her, laughing when she shut her eyes and didn't move an inch.

"When I was feeling sad," she murmured then as her fathers sat down in different armchairs, "I would curl up just like this, and not move, and just rest." She opened one eye and stared at them as they stared right back at her. Then she popped up to her feet and began exploring their new rooms. A tiny kitchen was off to the side, with a round table set for three. A short hallway led to the bedrooms. Ciel stepped into the one with a window seat and white walls with gold flecks. The dark blue carpet and the pale blue curtains made her smiled.

"Look, like the sky." She said to Severus and Remus who had followed her silently. Severus walked further into the room and placed a gentle hand on her head.

"I had some like those, in your room." he told her as she rubbed the satiny curtain against her cheek. She smiled at him before spotting an open door. It turned out to be the door to the bathroom, which had blue walls and white marble floors, and a domed ceiling with blue mosaic tiles of varying shades.

"It's missing something." She murmured as she examined the bathtub. There was a small pop and along one of the walls appeared a picture of the Garden. Ciel smiled as she went over and waved at the snake slithering along the green garden. "Okay, now it's perfect." She turned and clapped her hands together with a giggle.

They all found their things had been moved into their rooms and Ciel quickly began unpacking her things, setting clothes in the dresser and hanging things in the closet. Severus and Remus watched her work from the doorway.

"How often did you move?" Severus asked her then. Ciel slowed down as she contemplated that.

"It was a miracle if we stayed a year in any given place. If we didn't leave the country then we were always moving from house to house, city to city." Ciel opened a box she hadn't noticed before and cracked a grin as she saw it held all the dresses Dashing had given her so far along with several new ones. She held up a black and red one and smiled. "Dashing's such a dork." She said while hanging up the dresses.

Remus and Severus shared at look then they both moved forward and caught Ciel's arms. She looked up at them questioningly.

"We will stay as long as you like, wherever you like." Remus said while brushing a stray strand of her hair back into place. Ciel grinned at them.

"We'll see." Ciel said as she returned to setting her meager things to rights in the room.

* * *

"_You're **what**_!" Draco asked while the others just gaped at her. They were heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Ciel giggled and nodded. "You heard me. I'm living with Remus and Severus because they're my fathers."

Draco continued to gape as they entered the classroom. Blaise chuckled as they took a seat across from Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ciel waved at them then turned back to Draco who was now letting his eyes look at her then at their professor who was making his way to the front of the room. Remus caught her eye and she smiled at him.

There were curious looks everywhere. In the two days it took for everyone to return to Hogwarts the news had spread from the Slytherins and Gryffindors to the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Whoever had not heard about it by then was told this morning at breakfast, like Draco.

"Good afternoon class." Remus was saying now, ignoring the looks flying from Ciel to him. "Now then, today we'll be taking a detour in our schedule and reading up on vampires."

Ciel felt a grin twitch onto her face as she met Harry's eye from across the aisle.

* * *

_**Another sort of interlude-y type chapter to get us ready for the rest of this tale. Thanks for reading! ^^. **_


	15. Something Unforseen

****

~Still Doll~

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Something Unforseen **

Dashing sighed as he saw the twin blonde girls and their little brother standing in his front doorway. "You're a bit early." He said as he motioned them into the parlor where Sirius was drinking and reading the Daily Prophet. Somehow, someone had found out about the re-investigation of Sirius Black's case and now people were letting their imaginations run wild, which meant more delay in clearing the man's name.

Sirius looked up and stared at the two teen girls and the little boy. "We had to come earlier." One of the girls said as she took off the boy's cloak. "Something happened, Dashing."

"What?" The vampire asked as he ruffled the boy's hair and handed him a Chocolate Frog.

"Ian found us." The other blonde twin said softly. Dashing froze, eyes widening.

"Ian's _here_?" He asked them softly.

"What does that mean?" Sirius asked now, looking from the children to the girls. "Who's Ian?"

Dashing turned to Sirius and let out a growl. "Ian is very bad news Sirius."

Sirius let out a heavy sigh. He'd thought the bad news was at an end for now...

* * *

Ciel woke up early. She wondered why she'd woken up at five am on a Saturday morning until she remembered where she was.

For the past week she'd been sharing private quarters with Remus and Severus. It hadn't been as hard as she'd secretly worried about. Remus was soft and quiet, and she'd already liked him well enough as a professor. He was as kind and patient behind closed doors as he was in front of a classroom of hormonal teenagers. Most evenings after dinner they'd all settled down in the sitting room. Remus graded the papers from his class or would make notes on the creatures they were studying the following day. He would asked Ciel about her day and she'd reply, always surprised he cared about those trivial little things she'd done like answering a question correct or hanging out with her friends.

Severus was more restricted emotionally when Remus was around, but he wasn't cool and detached as one would expect. He too asked her about her day, and more often than not about her health. Apparently she'd been rather prone to catching colds as an infant. But Ciel couldn't rightly remember the last time she'd been sick for more than a day or two. Still Severus would ask and she would reply and he would offer her a small smile. When he caught her staring off into space, he'd gently ask what was on her mind. When he caught her rubbing her scars one evening, he'd promised to make her a potion to get rid of them.

All in all her first week with them had been easy enough. Today though she wanted to show them she was happy with the arrangement. So she got up, heading into the bathroom to get washed up. When she came out she paused and stared at her empty, rumpled bed.

She missed one thing about the days before Dashing revealed her secrets. She missed Sirius. Her first real friend, the first adult she'd trusted, her counselor and her protector. She felt a lump in her throat, which she felt was utterly ridiculous because Sirius hadn't died or gone missing. He was just outside London in Dashing's heavily warded and perfectly safe house. He'd written to her twice that week and told her everything was going well for him. He was even getting used to Dashing, which had made her laugh.

But he wasn't here, with her, to keep her company even when she thought she didn't want it.

Sighing she moved to get dressed in a new outfit Dashing had sent her. Ciel blinked at the purple skirt and the gray top, the shoes and thigh-high gray socks, the frilly purple ribbon to tie into her hair. "I'm not a doll anymore." She muttered at the annoying vampire before getting dressed in it all the same. She missed having jeans and a t-shirt for a moment, until she realized that jeans and t-shirts had been from the time she'd been her mother's science project and snorted the thought away.

Turning to look at her mirror, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She looked like a doll, dressed in the pleated purple skirt with the black lace along the edge, the gray off the shoulder top, and the black mary-janes. The ribbon in her hair holding it back was more fuel in the flame to speak. She sighed and gave up. If Dashing wanted her to look like a doll, then she really wasn't going to win until she managed to find a way to get into a Muggle store and stock up on regular clothes.

She pondered on that as she headed to the small kitchen/dining area they had and dug around in the fridge for eggs and bacon.

By eight she had a table full of platters of food.

Remus and Severus awoke to the aroma of food. After rubbing sleep from their eyes they got ready for the day and both reached the kitchen to hear faint humming. Peeking around the arched entry they saw Ciel steadily working on flipping some pancakes. The table already had eggs, toast, bacon, waffles, bowls of fresh strawberries and blueberries along with three types of syrup, a tub of butter and a bowl of whipped cream.

"Are we having guests for breakfast Ciel?" Remus asked, stepping inside and blinking as Ciel poured another pancake then grabbed a loaded tea tray. Severus walked forward to get it and Ciel smiled at him.

"I don't know. Maybe. I told the guys where to find me if I didn't come to breakfast." Ciel said then. "Good morning by the way." She added.

"Good morning indeed." Severus cast an eye at the table then at the stack of pancakes. "I think that will be enough for now." He said then in a voice that Ciel was coming to know as his order voice. It meant he wasn't going to outright tell her to stop doing something but it would be good if she did. He usually reserved that voice for when she was eating sweets.

Still she finished the last pancake, turned off the stove and walked to the table with the platter, sitting down and beginning to serve herself. Remus and Severus did the same, watching as she took a bit of everything and reached for the blueberry syrup.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Remus asked after taking a bite of a waffle.

"I was Mother's cook." Ciel said, fork stopping halfway to her mouth. "One of my brothers...Liam that was his name...Liam taught me too cook. After Mother took me away, I guess I still remembered and so she put me to work doing that." Ciel shook her head and continued to eat.

"Do you remember all of them now?" Severus asked as he poured himself tea. Ciel watched him, paying close attention to how he added three sugar cubes and a healthy dash of cream. He liked it sweet at breakfast then. She'd remember.

"Most of them." Ciel said, taking the cup Severus poured for her now and stirring in the sugar and cream before frowning at the cup. "Artemis came afterwards of course. And who knows who else..." She scowled at a corner briefly then shook her head. "I'm glad I remember though. I don't feel so alone now." She added softly then busied her mouth with her food and tea.

They ate in silence until they heard a knock at the portrait door. Ciel jumped up then saying, "I'll get it!" Remus and Severus watched her go, Remus with a smile.

"It seems she's happy." Remus murmured as they listened to voices in the sitting room.

"She offered information she would not have before." Severus replied softly while getting up from his seat. "I am pleased." He added, stepping into the sitting room to find Harry, Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Draco and Daphne. They all looked up at him, looking unsure of how to react to being in their professor's private rooms. "I will be in my office for an hour Ciel." He said after a second. Ciel frowned the smallest bit then nodded. He wondered at the frown before reaching up and adjusting the bow in her hair. She looked up at him then and he let his hand pass once through her hair. "If you have need of me, use the Floo."

Ciel smiled then. "Okay Severus." He nodded and strode through the door.

"Wow." Daphne murmured, watching the portrait door shut. "Was he being nice then?" She asked with a grin.

"Professor Snape cares for Ciel very much." Hermione replied with a smile at Ciel. "He's just a private person and isn't used to showing it like many other people are."

"Very well put Hermione." The students jumped while Ciel giggled and walked to stand next to Remus. He smiled down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "I need to get some things from my office as well Ciel. When I return though, perhaps you'd like a turn about the grounds?"

Ciel's eyes grew wide then and she nodded rapidly. "Yes please! I've been getting really tired of being cooped up in here!" She paused then hurried to add, "Not that I don't like being in here, in our rooms, I just mean in here in the castle!"

Her friends laughed while she blushed and looked off to the side. Remus chuckled as well and told himself he'd never, ever admit how worried he'd been in that second, thinking Ciel wasn't liking his presence. He pat her head.

"I'm glad." He murmured just for her then gave her head another pat. "I'll meet you in the entrance hall in an hour then." Remus paused at the door and looked over his shoulder. "You're all welcome to come as well." He said to his students before leaving.

"Well everyone I made breakfast." Ciel said, turning to her six friends with a smile. They charged into the kitchen, Draco forcing her down into a seat as well. Ciel blinked as six sets of eager eyes trained on her.

"So what's it been like?"

"Do either of them snore?"

"Snape's not being a git is he?"

"Is Lupin as nice as in class?"

"Do they tuck you in at night or something?"

Ciel laughed at the questions they continued to bombard her with. "It's been fine. More than fine. They're both really easy to live with." Ciel informed her friends once they shut up a little. "Neither of them snores by the way." She directed at Draco who smirked. "Severus and Remus are very nice to me. We can all sit in the same room and just talk or not and be fine. Remus is just like he is in class too. And they don't tuck me in, I'm thirteen for pity's sake." She added. Hermione laughed. "They do say good night to me though, and Severus even hugged me last night." Ciel said softly as she remembered it. Remus had been showering and Severus had watched her pulled her blankets back and turn off the lights. He'd walked forward then and given her a quick and hard squeeze before turning and wishing her good night.

"Aw, that's so cute." Daphne and Hermione cooed. Ciel nodded.

"What about Lupin?" Draco asked then. Ciel shook her head.

"Not yet. But I think the only reason Severus did it was because he knew me as a baby. Remus didn't even get that." Ciel said thoughtfully. She too had wondered on that and had decided Remus was as uncertain about that as she was. She didn't know if she ought to hug them or not. If she ought to ask them for something or not. If this, if that. Being a child that was wanted was a very hard thing to be when one didn't know the rules.

"He'll get into it." Blaise assured her then. "Once Lupin and you know each other better, you'll both be able to be more affectionate."

Ciel grinned at him. "You're omniscient aren't you?" She asked teasingly. Blaise just gave her a wink and a catty smile.

"Zabini scares me sometimes." Harry said then, shaking his head with a grin. "I never want to get on your bad side." He added.

"Keep taking care of Ciel and you won't." Blaise promised. His tone was calm and could be called playful but his eyes were full of seriousness. Harry gave him a single nod before smiling at Ciel. "Oh! Since we're going outside, I should go get my Firebolt-"

"You're what!" Draco screeched suddenly making them all laugh. Harry grinned widely.

"I got a Firebolt for Christmas." He said nonchalantly. The ruse would've worked if not for the psycho smile on his face. Draco gaped at him.

"You did not!" The blonde gasped out. Harry chuckled while Ron doubled over in a fit of giggles.

"I did so. Wait here." And Harry dashed off to get it.

"I warned you Draco." Blaise said then, wagging a finger at the still gaping blonde. "This is what you get for wishing Potter would crash his Nimbus so often."

Draco scowled at the fireplace until Harry returned ten minutes later, cheeks flushed, eyes bright as he proudly held his shiny new Firebolt. Draco's mouth popped open at the sight of it. Even Daphne and Blaise who weren't that into broomsticks stared at the broom with proper awe for a few moments.

"Hey Harry, can I have a go on it?" Ron nearly begged. Harry chuckled.

"Course you can Ron."

"I demand a ride as well!" Draco huffed then.

"Draco." Ciel and Daphne scolded but Harry's chuckle had them looking at him.

"Sure Malfoy, you can have a go on it too." Harry said, emerald gaze filled with boundless amusement. Draco flushed but no one could mistake the glee in his silver gaze.

They finished their breakfast and hurried Ciel out of the room before she could even begin to think of washing the dishes. "We shouldn't impose on Professor Lupin though." Hermione brought up as they made their way out of the sitting room and headed for the entrance hall.

"Oh we won't." Ron huffed then. "We'll go to the Quidditch Pitch and ride the Firebolt while Lupin and Ciel go for a walk or something."

"Ron! What if they don't want to go to the Quidditch Pitch? We can't be out on our own!" Hermione argued.

"Hermione, it's okay." Ciel promised. "I don't mind. It's probably better this way too."

They heard footsteps behind them and turned to find Remus there with a smile on his face. "I asked Severus to join us, but he said he was busy." Remus told Ciel who nodded and tried not to feel too bad about that. "Come then."

He led them all out to the still snow-covered grounds and chuckled as they all exclaimed happily. He felt a little bad for them then. They were stuck inside still because Sirius hadn't been cleared yet. It seemed it would be a while before that happened too.

"Are you still going to be teaching Harry the Patronus, Remus?" Ciel asked then, making Remus blink. The others had gone ahead a few feet, giving them space to talk and do as they liked. Remus saw Harry already mounting his broom and hovering a few feet above his friends' heads.

"It will be necessary, even though Sirius is no longer a threat." Remus replied. "If I do not teach him how to protect himself against the Dementors, then who knows what may happen if he ever encounters another one."

Ciel nodded, shivering. Remus remembered then that Harry wasn't the only one with severely bad memories making him vulnerable to Dementors.

"Would you like to learn as well?" Remus asked her. She looked up at him, a pink flush on her cheeks that he doubted had anything to do with the cold. He placed a hand on her shoulder then, taking a moment to inwardly chuckle at her small stature. "There is nothing to be ashamed of in learning to defend yourself." He added quietly.

"I'd like to learn." Ciel murmured as she looked up at him with half-wary eyes. "I don't want to be weak anymore."

Remus shook his head. "It has nothing to do with weakness Ciel." He gave her a steady stare before reaching up to pat her head. "It is merely that they bring out your worst memories, your deepest fears and make you live through them. Even the strongest of wizards would be hard pressed to remain completely unaffected by those creatures."

Ciel smiled then, relief in her eyes now. Remus mentally shook his head while he let his arm wrap around her shoulders. She didn't pull away or look at him oddly, she simply let it be and he was happy with that.

He chuckled as they reached the Quidditch Pitch, watching along with Ciel as the teens flew around on the superb broom. "Harry reminds me very much of his father when he smiles like that." Remus noted as he watch Harry who was watching Ron making his way around the pitch.

"Did you know Mr. Potter well?"

"He was one of my very best friends." Remus replied. Ciel giggled at the happiness in her father's tone.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Ciel asked after a second. "How me and Harry became friends, and how you and his father were friends?"

"If things had been different, it wouldn't have been strange to me at all." Remus whispered. Ciel looked up then, seeing Remus's amber eyes filled with a sadness she had never seen. She could understand it though. Which was why she took two steps towards him and wrapped an arm around him loosely. Remus blinked down at her bowed head then slowly brought his arm around her shoulders, keeping her still.

"It can be different now." Ciel murmured into his torso, one of her hands clenching in his robe. "We can be family now. Maybe not like you or I hoped for, but it seems better to me any way."

Remus chuckled and nodded. "That sounds excellent to me Ciel."

"Ciel!" Ron shouted then, even as Hermione and Daphne hissed at him to shut up and let them have their moment. "Ciel! It's your turn!"

Remus laughed softly as Ciel pulled back, looking up at him questioningly. "You know how to fly?" He asked as Ron was hit several times by the others. Even from where they stood they could hear Ron's protest of "Hey! What's that for!"

Ciel nodded. "Harry taught me on the Nimbus. He promised to teach me on the Firebolt to."

Remus grinned, thinking for a moment what James would think about that, then he pushed her gently. "I'll be watching." he told her as she beamed. She hurried over and hit Ron on the arm as well, taking the Firebolt from him and listening to Harry's instructions before hopping on and taking off with a scream of delight at the speed.

It hadn't been so hard, hugging her, Remus thought as he followed his daughter with his eyes. He'd thought it'd be difficult, because they were more or less strangers to one another. But it wasn't difficult at all. In fact, he wouldn't mind doing it more often.

* * *

Sirius chuckled as he read Harry's letter.

"What's so funny?" The little brunette boy, who funny enough resembled Ciel a lot, looked up from the floor of the parlor where he'd been busily building a tower of cards. Artemis was his name. His sisters, Suzette and Elizabeth were in a corner talking to Dashing in German. They looked up at the sound of the boy's voice though.

"Oh just something Harry wrote about Ciel." Sirius told her. The boy's hazel-green eyes lit up then.

"About my sister? Tell me!" He demanded. Sirius grinned at him, straightened the letter with a flourish, and read aloud:

_Ciel flew on the Firebolt today. It was brilliant. She took off like a rocket and she kept up a really fast pace the entire time. She was doing loops when Snape showed up. You should've seen his face Sirius! I don't think he's ever looked that human to me. _

_Ciel came right back down when he called her name and landed neatly in front of him. When he asked her what in the name of bloody Merlin-he really said bloody Merlin-she was doing going around so fast she just grinned and said "But Severus I like the speed." _

_And then Snape pinched his nose and I heard him mutter, "God help me, she's still a daredevil." We all tried not to laugh but we couldn't help it when he turned to Lupin and said, "This is all that mutt Black's fault." _

_Lupin just laughed along with the rest of us even though Snape made us head back inside. _

Sirius laughed when he finished. "That sounds just like Snape to blame me." He chuckled as he looked down at Artemis. The boy was grinning from ear to ear.

"I wanna see Ciel!" Artemis huffed suddenly, toppling his tower and watching the cards explode into a small fire. Sirius cocked an eyebrow at the boy as he pouted. He'd been demanding that since the day before, and would probably continue to demand it until he was granted his desire. "I wanna see her right now!"

"Why do you want to see her so bad?" Sirius wondered then. "You don't even know her." He added.

Artemis scrunched up his face. "I do so know her!" He shouted, stamping his foot. "I do, I do! She's my big sister! She looks like me and she's nice and she's mine, mine, mine!"

Sirius snickered, turning to the girls who were watching the boy with fond annoyance.

"Arty, we told you already, we'll see her soon." One of them said. Sirius couldn't tell them apart for the life of him. They were like the Weasley twins.

"Yes Arty, we'll see her in a few more days." The other promised sweetly. Artemis huffed and shook his head.

"Now. Right now." He demanded.

"Tell you what kid." Sirius said then, picking the boy up and startling him out of the tantrum he was working up to. "If you're good and promise to not stomp around like a troll and shouting everywhere, I'll tell you about Ciel."

"How do you know her?" Artemis grumped but Sirius could see the storm passing in the way the kid faced him without a pout.

"I found her when she came to England." Sirius told him, sitting the boy in his lap and smiling. "And I've been taking care of her ever since."

Artemis eyed him heavily. "How come you aren't doing it now?" He asked. Sirius winced a little.

"Because Arty," Dashing said now, handing Artemis a sucker. "The people living where Ciel is, think Sirius here is a bad man. So until I can make them see he's not, he can't go back."

"Oh." Artemis said, mollified for the moment. The moment passed though and Artemis turned his pout back onto Sirius. "Tell me about Ciel." He demanded. Again Sirius wondered at the boy's attachment to a girl he had never met. Meeting Dashing's eye, he asked the questions silently as he spoke.

"Well what do you want to know?"

"Is she really nice, like Suzie and Elli say?"

"She's wonderfully nice."

"Does she give good hugs?"

"The very best hugs."

"Do you think she'll like me?" Artemis asked this in a whisper that was probably not supposed to be heard by the other three in the room. Sirius grinned at the lad and ruffled his hair.

"She'll love you. But if you don't stop having tantrums she might get upset." Sirius warned and Artemis's eyes grew wide with fear.

"I don' wanna make Ciel upset! I'll be a good boy!" Artemis promised. Sirius let a frown flitter over his features before chuckling.

"Good. Because Ciel's been upset enough in her lifetime." Sirius murmured. Artemis nodded surprisingly.

"I know. Suzie and Elli tell me that all the time, so that I'll be nice to Ciel when I meet her." Artemis told him. Sirius turned and cocked a brow at Dashing.

"It's time for your bath Arty." One of his sisters said abruptly.

"Aw Suzie! No bath!" Artemis whined but he was still too little to put up much of a fight as Suzette picked him up and carted him off upstairs.

Sirius turned to Elizabeth and Dashing once they were gone. His expression asked all the questions.

Dashing sighed and rubbed his face. "I told you that the Order wasn't finished." Dashing started. Sirius nodded, wondering where this would go. "Okay, I'll tell you the truth Sirius. Artemis isn't exactly Ciel's brother."

"Then what is he?" Sirius asked. What did that matter though?

"Artemis was created in the Autumn Dawn's lab." Elizabeth took over the explanation. "About five years ago now." She sighed as she fidgetted in her seat. "Using DNA from Ciel."

Sirius gaped. "What?" he asked slowly.

Dashing let his face fall into a mask of complete annoyance. "I didn't know about that until after Artemis was created."

"What was he created for though?"

"We're not entirely sure." Elizabeth frowned. "Suzie and I found out about him thanks to Fredrich." She grew pale then and Sirius wondered who that was. "He managed to smuggle Artemis out and told us to keep him safe. He told us it was important to get him to Ciel but we never got the chance to ask why..." Elizabeth fell silent.

"All I've been able to find out so far is that Artemis has that same mutation in his genes from the lycanthropy." Dashing explained. "Accelerated healing and a killer immune system that fights even the worst of viruses off in a matter of days." The vampire frowned. "I'm thinking he was the next step Autumn Dawn's taking into the perfect recipe for immortality. Ciel was born with it naturally, but Artemis has her unique attributes engineered into him. Can you imagine how much of a feat that is already?" Dashing asked.

Sirius frowned and shook his head, letting his eyes turn up towards the second floor where Artemis was probably splashing around in a bath, carefree and not knowing how he was born into the world. Ciel would be angry when she found out. She'd worry about how much Artemis had suffered. She'd be sad that he'd been kept from her for so long.

"Have you told Ciel about Fredrich?" Elizabeth asked then. Dashing sighed as he pat her hand.

"Actually, Ciel saw him murdered firsthand." Dashing told her. Elizabeth gasped, hand flying to her mouth.

"You never told us that!" Elizabeth accused. Dashing smirked.

"Oh I didn't? Silly me, must've slipped my mind." He chuckled as Elizabeth smacked him. Sirius snorted. The vampire was masochistic. "I thought I told you Ciel saw your mother kill your brother and then ran off." Dashing continued. It clicked then. This Fredrich was the man Ciel had known as Mouse.

"What about this Ian guy you were all so bothered about yesterday?" Sirius asked then. They'd all switched to using French after his initial question and asked him to watch over Artemis, which he'd done with a fair bit of irritation.

"Ian is our Uncle." Elizabeth said. "He started helping the Order around the time Mother went off with Ciel. He's been hunting us down ever since last year when Fredrich brought us Artemis."

Sirius shook his head then. "Poor kids. How on earth have you survived it all?" He asked as he looked over and saw Suzette and Artemis returning.

"It's easy." Artemis spoke up unexpectedly. "We had each other. We knew we'd get out alright, cuz we're together." Sirius watched him return to his tower of cards. "Tell me more about Ciel." He demaned in a slightly less petulant tone. Sirius chuckled.

"She likes dogs." Sirius said, merely kidding. Artemis gasped though.

"I like dogs too!"

Sirius smiled and was about to say more when an owl flew into the parlor, dropping into Sirius's lap and holding out its leg. Sirius untied the letter and the owl hooted, fluttering back through the window Dashing held open. "Hey, it's from Ciel." He said then. Artemis gasped again, scrambling into his lap.

"Read it! Read it!" Artemis demanded. Sirius opened it and laughed when something fell on the squirming kid's head. Artemis picked it up and stared at it. "Is this her?" He asked softly as he looked at the photo. Sirius looked down, to find a picture of Ciel sitting in a windowseat, sucking on a sugar quill. In the photo Ciel's head jerked up and she turned to face the picture taker, a laugh lighting up her eyes.

_Everything's been fine this week. I've had piles of homework but I managed to survive it. Living with Remus and Severus isn't so bad. They're very kind to me. That and they're starting to act more dad-like. Severus got annoyed with me for flying to fast on the Firebolt the other day. I was surprised. He sounded so worried..._

_I cooked for them all day today. They were surprised by that. I don't think they liked that I could do it though, because it was something my Mother forced me to do. Still, I'm happy I can make food for people I like now. _

_Tell Dashing thank you for my pictures of my sisters and little brother. I hope I can meet them soon. Suzette and Elizabeth are beautiful and Artemis looks so cute! I wonder what they're like..._

_I miss you lots Sirius but I'm trying to not let it get me down. I got used to having you around. I hope Dashing can get everything worked out so you can come visit me again. Harry too. He needs a good godfather around. _

_We're taking care of each other, so don't worry about us. _

_Write back soon,_

_Ciel_

_P.S. Blaise surprised me. He took a camera from a kid named Creevey and snapped a picture of me for now reason. He told me to send it along because someone would appreciate it, whatever he means by that. I still think he's as much as Seer as his aunt, no matter how much he denies it. _

"She thinks I'm cute." Artemis said then with a smile while looking down at the girl in the photo.

"Who's Blaise?' The twins asked in unison, sounding like overprotective siblings. Sirius laughed and told them all about Ciel's friends.

* * *

**_Another chapter. Two in one day, not bad eh? Well enjoy! ^^. _**


	16. A Prelude to Something Darker

****

~Still Doll~

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**To Milena: Ciel's eyes will remain dark like Snape's. Because spells last so long as the caster is alive. Like how Dumbledore's lasted on Harry only until he died. If her mother hadn't messed with them, they would be brown like her mother's. ^^. Thanks to the other readers and reviewers too! Now please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: A Prelude to Something Darker**

Ciel stood still, blinking at the broken china. She'd been getting tea and someone had knocked on the door. She'd gone to answer it and had knocked over the cups. She'd been expecting Remus and Severus to come into the kitchen of course. The teacups had been loud. What had her mystified though was that no one was yelling at her. Severus and Remus had hurried into the room at the sound of breaking china and now they were watching her as she knelt and studied the mess.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked when she picked up a piece.

Ciel blinked up at him. "It's...broken." She murmured, setting the piece down. Severus nodded, pulling out his wand and waving it at the mess. The cups pieced themselves together in a second. Remus floated them up to the tray and Ciel blinked again.

"Did you cut yourself?" Remus asked then and Ciel shook her head.

"No one's yelling." She said then, standing up and looking from Remus to Severus like she didn't know what to make of them.

The wizards exchanged a look then Severus came forward to pass a hand through her hair. "Everything is fine." He promised her. "Accidents happen."

Ciel nodded and then let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I was expecting yelling. You're all so...quiet." Ciel chuckled then and rubbed her nose. "It's different."

"It's very different." Remus said then. "You are different and so are we."

She nodded again and then smiled a little. "I don't know how to fix things. Hermione's trying to get me caught up with the charms and spells but she has so much work these days..."

Severus shook his head. "If you needed help, why did you not say so before?"

"You were busy as well. I didn't want to bother you."

Remus and Severus shared another look before they both turned to Ciel who was already pouring hot water into the teapot. "Ciel." She turned to look over her shoulder at them. "From now on, matter how much work we have, no matter how busy we may seem, you will always come first. We will always set aside our things to help you."

Ciel looked up at them, from one to the other, until she felt her throat close and closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was smiling brightly.

"I'll try to remember." She promised. "Who was at the door?" She wondered then as she began to pick up the tray. Remus took it from her with a smile and they made their way to the sitting area.

"Professor Dumbledore." Remus told her as they settled into their seats. Ciel paused as she reached for the teapot, her eyes cool.

"Oh?" She asked and served her fathers tea, smiling when she remembered correctly that Severus perferred a hint of lemon and one sugar cube in the evening. Remus took it with milk and honey in the evenings.

"Yes, he recieved a letter from Dashing." Ciel narrowed her eyes. "Dashing wanted to see if he could arrange a special meeting in Hogsmeade next weekend. Dumbledore said he would think about."

Ciel nodded, taking a drink then looking around. "Where'd he go then?"

"He spoke very quickly and left when we heard the cups breaking." Severus told her making her relax and return to her Herbology essay.

"He'd better give his permission." Ciel murmured then, looking in her textbook. "He owes me."

Severus smirked then and nodded while Remus sighed softly. They doubted Ciel would ever truly forgive Dumbledore. And honestly they couldn't blame her.

* * *

Sirius bounced happily around Artemis who was laughing at the man's silliness. Dashing, Elizabeth and Suzette were ahead of them, heading down the road towards the Three Broomsticks.

"We get to meet Ciel today!" Artemis cheered, chasing Sirius as he ran around the vampire and the girls. "Finally! I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for forever!"

"Oh now Arty." Suzette chuckled. "It's been a year at most."

"Nuh uh!" Artemis replied as Dashing held the door open for them. "I've been waiting for longer than that!" Sirius paused and turned to Dashing who was wearing a sour expression. It cleared though as they found a table and waited for twelve o'clock.

Dumbledore had consented to the meeting but had limited them to two hours and that they remain in the Three Broomsticks for the entire time. No doubt the old wizard had set up some spies in the pub. Sirius was starting to worry for Harry and Ciel. The more time that passed, the further they got tangled up in a world Sirius had thought only existed in novels.

"What's this stuff?" Artemis asked as Dashing placed a tankard of butterbeer in front of him.

"Butterbeer. It's good." Dashing promised and the boy took a deep chug of it. Sirius sat beside his chair, watching the door.

At midday precisely the door opened to admit a blast of January chill and a group of four. Harry, Ciel, Remus and Severus. Sirius barked and jumped, wagging his tail before taking off and tackling the teens.

"Gah!" Harry cried out, falling over and laughing as Sirius licked his face all over. "Ugh! Dog drool!" He said while beaming nonetheless. Sirius barked happily and then felt arms wrap around his neck.

"Sirius." Ciel murmured into his fur before giving him a happy squeeze before getting up and giggling. "Where's that evil vampire?"

Sirius waited for Harry to get up then led them over to the table where the twins and Artemis were standing, watching them approach. Ciel paused a few steps away from the tables, her eyes fastened on the girls and boy. They stood watching each other for a while then slowly the twins moved forward to wrap her up in their arms. Ciel blinked, feeling stiff as they continued to hold her. She'd been wanting to see them for days but now, she felt strange. She couldn't place why she just did.

"Ciel. Little Ciel." Elizabeth said, reaching up to pull lightly on a pigtail. Ciel smiled and they hugged her again. "Oh she's so grown up isn't she Suzie?"

"Yeah." Suzette agreed, making Ciel spin a little. "Wow, you're turning into such a cute little woman." Suzette giggled, pulling her back into her embrace.

"Stop hogging her!" Ciel blinked at the annoyed voice and turned, getting free of Suzette to stare at the little boy.

Artemis looked up at her for a moment then held his arms out to her. Ciel lifted him without pause, settling him on her hip and smiling when he beamed at her. "Hi there." She murmured as Artemis wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Hi." Artemis mumbled before dropping his head on her shoulder. "Ah." He sighed as he clung to her. Ciel was surprised to say the least. It wasn't awkward with Artemis. She just felt happy he was so cuddly with her. "I'm Artemis. You can call me Arty."

"I'm Ciel." She replied. "It's nice to meet you Arty."

Artemis pulled back and grinned. He squirmed and Ciel put him down, only to have her hand grabbed and find herself being forced to sit in a chair. Artemis climbed onto her lap and grimaced as Harry took the seat next to them. His little arms wound around her neck and he hid his face in her neck once more. Ciel giggled, looking up at the twins then at Remus and Severus.

"Arty sure is clingy." Dashing chuckled, motioning for everyone to sit. "So then, I was hoping for less of an audience but it can't be helped. We'll just have to make the best of the situation."

"So why'd you contact us now?" Harry asked as he put a hand on Sirius's furry back. "Not that I'm not grateful." He added when Dashing smirked at him. "Ciel's been dying to meet her brother and sisters. I just thought we wouldn't see any of you for a while."

"Things change, young Harry." Dashing said. "Right now, we need to inform you about Ian."

"Who?" Remus asked, wondering if this was another sibling.

"Ian." Suzette replied. "Uncle Ian." She directed that at Ciel who blinked slowly. That name made her stomach twist. It took a second for her to recall that face and she felt herself gulp. "He's after us."

"Why?" Ciel asked.

"Because we have Artemis." Elizabeth said, motioning to the boy who was still clinging to Ciel. "And **_They _**want Arty back."

Harry turned to look at the boy then at the twin girls as his other hand found it's way into one of Ciel's. Another problem, great. Shouldn't things be getting better for his friend?

"Why do they want Arty back?" Ciel asked then, tightening the arm she had around Arty's waist.

Suzette and Elizabeth exchanged looks, then shook their heads. "We're not really sure." Suzette said. Ciel felt her eyes narrow. They were lying. Her observation skills hadn't been tampered with after her return to her proper self. Ciel let it slide though and promised to bring it up with Harry later.

"Ian may come through here." Dashing warned in a quiet hiss. "So until I give say-so, stay inside the castle. Those dementors will keep you safe."

Harry scowled and Ciel touched her temple before shaking her head. "Trapped like lab rats." She muttered and felt Artemis cling to her tighter. She pat his head and Artemis smiled up at her. "But we're not the ones he's after." Ciel thought aloud, frowning at the vampire. Dashing shook his head.

"We don't know that for sure." Dashing explained. "Ian worked for your mother." Ciel felt her breath freeze for a moment. "We can't be too sure what he might be after."

Ciel sighed and then scowled. "When I get old enough...I'm going to make sure none of them ever bother us again." She vowed. Artemis looked up at her.

"Promise Ciel? Promise?"

Ciel looked down at the little boy, wondering why her heart hurt when she looked at him. She nodded though and hugged him tight.

"I promise Arty. No more bad things will happen to us again." Ciel swore to him. Artemis sighed happily.

Dashing chuckled then and Ciel looked at him. "Good to hear that little doll. Because I want you to take Arty home with you."

Suzette, Elizabeth, Remus and Severus all exclaimed, "What?"

Dashing kept his eyes on Ciel who was looking down at a now excited Artemis. "Yes! I gets to go home with Ciel!"

"But...but you don't even know me." Ciel tried to reason. Artemis pouted.

"I know you lots!" Artemis argued, lips quivering. "I do, I do!" He added and Ciel nodded, not wanting the little boy to cry.

"But Dashing-!" Suzette tried to argue. Dashing held up a hand to stop her words. He turned to Remus and Severus, ignoring the twins.

"Remus, Severus, its your call. I'd feel better though if you would allow Arty to head home with his sister." Dashing said.

"Dashing, you're not taking Arty away from us." Elizabeth said coldly. Dashing turned to her and laughed.

"My dear Elizabeth...we made a deal." He said and Elizabeth scowled but subsided into quiet seething while rubbing her palm, on which was a bright, red X. Dashing returned his attention to the two wizards.

Severus looked at Ciel who was looking a little overwhelmed. This little meeting wasn't going as she'd planned at all. It was turning into a prelude to something darker. He could sense it. "Do you believe it necessary?"

Dashing nodded. "I believe it beneficiary as well."

The potions professor turned to Remus who was already nodding. "If you believe it the best course of action, then of course we're willing." Remus said. Severus gave a nod in agreement.

"What about you little doll?" Dashing asked. Ciel blinked and looked down at Arty who was toying with her hair then. He smiled at her. Turning to Harry she found her friend looking seriously at her.

Harry caught her dark gaze and smiled. "You did just make a promise Ciel." Harry reminded her. Ciel nodded then.

"Okay." Ciel said at last. Dashing clapped his hand and stood quickly.

"Excellent. Well say goodbye you two. We have work to do." Dashing ordered of the girls who were scowling at him but they got up and took Arty into their arms, saying their goodbyes. They turned to Ciel then, hugging her and patting her head.

"Stupid vampire." Elizabeth muttered. "Don't you worry Ciel. We'll be back soon."

"Please take care of Arty." Suzette said, hugging the girl once more. "And yourself of course. I hope our next meeting won't be so clipped." She shot a glare at Dashing who smiled sweetly.

Dashing leaned down to ruffle Ciel's hair and whisper softly, "Hurry home now." He then took the girl's arms and led them away.

Once they'd left Artemis pulled away from Ciel and pulled himself onto the tabletop, smirking in a way that had Ciel blinking rapidly. Could five year old's smirk like that?

"Finally!" Artemis exclaimed, hazel-green eyes glittering. "Geez, Dashing took his sweet time."

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed suddenly as Sirius gave a snuffle. "He left the dog." Harry muttered as Sirius hopped onto a seat, barking and letting his tongue hang out at Severus and Remus.

"We should hurry into the castle." Artemis said then, in a very grown-up tone. Ciel stood up and was about to turn towards the doors when Artemis held up his arms. She picked him up and looked down at him frowning.

"You're not a normal five year old are you?" Harry asked then as they made their way to the street. Artemis chuckled as he snuggled into Ciel's arms, resting his head on her shoulder.

"No I'm not. But Ciel isn't a normal thriteen year old either." Artemis sighed. "None of us are normal at all."

Ciel looked up to Harry then and he reached out to take her hand while Sirius bounded and grinned all the way to the castle. Remus and Severus shared a look as they passed by the dementors.

Things were getting complicated.

* * *

Harry sat with Sirius beside him on the couch as Artemis climbed into Ciel's lap on her pile of cushions. Remus and Severus were away, talking to the headmaster about their meeting and Artemis.

"So." Harry said, seeing Ciel was a little too surprised at the moment to ask the questions. "You are human aren't you?" Harry asked the boy. Artemis laughed and nodded.

"I'm a human five year old." Artemis replied, sitting with his back against Ciel's chest, playing with a bit of her hair. "I'm just a little different." Artemis turned to meet Ciel's eye. "It was one of their experiments. When I was three. They started feeding me this gross-tasting stuff, three times a day, every day. After a few months, I started speaking more coherently, and thinking more in more complex ways. The Order was pleased. I could now explain my symptoms coherently." Artemis scowled at the fireplace.

Harry saw the shadows cross Ciel's eyes as she unconsciously started rubbing her scars.

"Why'd you have to come home with us?" Harry asked.

"Because I know why Ian is after us." Artemis said, twisting in Ciel's lap to look at the older girl. "And he _is _after both of us, especially Ciel."

"Why?" Ciel asked then, shaking her head and looking at him. "I'm useless to Mother now aren't I? The Still Doll ritual was broken when Severus said my name. I'm not her little puppet anymore."

Artemis was shaking his head by the end of her sentence. "No you're not, which makes me happy. But you're also not just Mother's doll." Artemis blew out a breath as he looked up at the ceiling.

"How come Dashing made you come with us and forced your sisters to go with him?" Harry asked then. Artemis scoffed.

"I don't know who they thought they'd fool." Artemis snorted then, turning to pout sadly at Ciel. "Those weren't the real Suzette and Elizabeth." Ciel blinked. "Mother...got rid of them before Fredrich." Artemis explained. Ciel shuddered at the reminder that the man she'd seen killed was her own brother. Now she was hearing that her twin sisters were gone as well?

What kind of evil was their Mother?

"But why?" She asked, her dark eyes wide. "Why is all this craziness happening again?"

Artemis touched her cheek. "Because before Fredrich got me free, the Order had had a breakthrough." His hazel-green eyes glimmered with anger. "When I was born, they were happy. We're as close to immortality as anyone has ever gotten since people began searching for ways to live forever. Closer even than the Elixir of Life. Because we don't need a drink to live for a long time." Artemis rubbed his face, grumbling a little.

"What do you mean they had a breakthrough?" Harry asked, not liking the way this conversation was going.

"When they made me, they found out I was just like Ciel. So they started testing my DNA, and comparing it to the research they'd gotten from when they tested Ciel." Artemis explained. "They want Ciel back because they figure that in order to make some sort of potion they'll need to use her DNA as a base."

"So they still think of us as playthings. They think they can just do whatever they like with us. It's not right. It's not fair." Ciel muttered then. Artemis nodded.

"It's not." Artemis agreed and snuggled into Ciel. "I get scared when I think of going back there." He whispered. Ciel's arms wrapped around him tight, keeping the boy safely tucked into her arms.

"That won't ever happen." She promised.

Harry stared at them for a few seconds. "I promise too Artemis." Artemis looked up at him with a blink. "I'm gonna help take care of you too." Harry said and smiled when Artemis stared at him.

"Why?" Artemis asked this time.

Harry smiled kindly at the little boy. "Because I want to." he said, making Artemis stare at him more. Then the boy shook his head.

"You're weird." Artemis proclaimed, sounding much more like a five-year-old should. Harry grinned as Sirius let out a sound that sounded like laughs.

"I get that a lot." Harry replied.

Ciel smiled as her friend and little brother got along. She felt sadness though, and a burning rage growing in the pit of her gut. The Order of the Autumn Dawn wasn't finished with them yet. They had brought Artemis into the world, only to hurt him like they'd hurt her. They were still hurting people, they were still the bad people from when she was young.

She was going to put a stop to them. Even if she owed Dashing for the rest of her eternity she was going to find a way to bring the Order and everything they planned on doing to the ground. She'd ruin them all even if she had to die in the process.

"I'm tired of being their doll." She muttered as she pet Artemis's hair. Artemis snuggled into her, behaving much more like a child.

"So those girls weren't your real sisters." Harry said then, bringing her out of her rage to the present. Artemis shook his head.

"Nuh uh. They were Polyjuiced members of the Order." Artemis chuckled then quite evilly. "They thought Dashing would be stupid and believe they were the real Suzie and Elli. But Dashing's much more clever than that! He's probably having fun making them pay..."

Harry remembered how Dashing had made Pettigrew pay and shivered a little. Sirius butted his snout into Harry's shoulder and Harry smiled at the comfort the dog's presence lent him. "Hey yeah! Why'd Dashing leave Sirius?" Harry asked then.

Artemis giggled as Sirius tackled Harry, playfully nipping at his school robe's sleeve. "Dashing said Dumbledore wouldn't guess Sirius was the dog. And what safer place for Sirius to be while Dashing plays with two very pissed off Order memebers?" Artemis replied making Harry shake his head.

"The more time I know you Ciel, the more troublesome your life gets." Harry commented then. Ciel winced a little and Harry blushed, realizing that sounded worse than he meant it too. "I mean its a hard one. I don't like how much pain you have because of it." Harry explain and Ciel met his eyes for a moment before she smiled.

"Thank you for putting up with it Harry." Ciel murmured then. Harry just smiled in return.

Artemis laughed then. "If you're going to kiss or something now, say so, cuz I don't wanna see."

Severus and Remus opened the door to find Sirius rolling around on the floor and Harry and Ciel spluttering while Artemis laughed.

* * *

Ciel awoke and yawned, stretching and feeling a little out of sorts. She grumbled as she turned onto her side, wondering why her left arm felt so heavy.

Blinking she found a little boy curled up, using her arm as a pillow.

After a few more blinked Ciel remembered who he was. Artemis, her little brother, created by Autumn Dawn in their ongoing experimentation in immortality.

_My life sounds like a sci-fi novel. _Ciel thought randomly as she slid her arm out from under Artemis and sat up in bed, looking down at the five year old. His mind had been changed by whatever potion they'd fed him, giving him the brain of an adult still held within the body of a child.

And he was all she had left of her siblings. Suzette and Elizabeth were as dead as Fredrich and Cassius, and the others she could vaugely remember. All thanks to their own Mother.

Ciel took a deep breath, letting it out through her nose and feeling her hands shake with the anger she felt towards Anna-Lee and her Order.

Her own Uncle was hunting her and her little brother down! Ugh! That was just so wrong! And for what! For finding a way to cheat death!

There couldn't be anything worse, than using your own children to cheat death. Ciel was sure of that. How could any person not think it was wrong?

"Ciel?" The girl turned and found her little brother smiling.

"Good morning Arty." Ciel said, focusing on the good parts of her life and getting rid of the burn the anger left in her throat.

She had not just one but two fathers who she was liking more and more as the days passed.

She had wonderful friends who liked her as herself.

She had a little brother.

"Mornin' Sirius." Artemis said as Sirius appeared in the room. Ciel smiled at the sight of the shaggy black dog, grinning when she recalled how Severus had gotten angry when Sirius had tried to sleep on Ciel's bed. That had been a very amusing argument, even if Ciel still didn't understand why Severus had gotten so worked up in the first place. (Artemis had been mystified as well, and had asked Remus, who'd turned pink and just directed the boy to go to bed.)

Ciel didn't care right then, if the Order continued to try and hunt her down. She wasn't alone anymore. She had Harry, Sirius, Remus, and Severus who wanted to protect her. She had Artemis now, which gave her a reason to fight. She had a world where she was cared for, wanted, accepted. It gave her strength.

No matter the confusion and darkness that tried to smother her, from now on Ciel would remember all the she had.

And nothing any did from this point forward would change any of it.

"Let's hurry or we'll miss breakfast." Ciel said as she got up and stretched, heading for the bathroom.

"Ciel has classes today." Artemis said to Sirius who bobbed his head in a nod. Ciel smiled as she shut the door and prepared for the day.

* * *

Dashing scoffed at the mess on the kitchen floor. He'd gotten a little out of hand. But it was a steep price that had needed to be paid.

Ian was closing in on them. Dashing could almost feel the bastard circling around them all like a vulture.

The vampire wouldn't allow anything to happen to Ciel or Artemis though. With the fake twins out of the way, he was already moving forward in his plans.

He'd need to get Sirius's name cleared, and he'd need to find out where exactly Ian was.

He couldn't let anything happen to Ciel and Artemis. He needed them to discover his own way to extend life.

Extend it and improve it. With their DNA, Dashing was certain he could figure out a way to find cures for the worst of illnesses.

"What has you in such a foul mood?" A soft voice asked making Dashing smile genuinely as he turned. A young woman stood there, dressed in an elegant gown and looking at him with milky-green eyes. They didn't see him anymore. Dashing knew he'd find a way to fix that in the near future though.

"Some idiots who were reluctant to pay my fee." Dashing replied, walking forward and pushing the young woman out of the kitchen and into the hallway, leading her to the parlor. She gave a soft sigh and shake of her head. Her red hair shook as well and Dashing ran his hands through it, smiling as the woman walked to a piano in the corner, sitting down and beginning to play a complex melody of her own creation. Being blind did not take away her talent.

"So little Artemis is well?"

"I delivered him to Hogwarts. He'll be safe there, so long as Dumbledore remains unawares."

"What do you mean by that? Dumbledore wouldn't harm Artemis, would he?"

Dashing chuckled at her surprised tone and reached down to kiss her cheek. "My love, the things Dumbledore is capable of surprise even me."

Her fingers paused over the ivory keys. "And what do you mean by _that_?"

Dashing laid his cheek atop her head and pet her hair as she resumed her song. "He's a manipulative old coot. Twisting strings and setting down traps no one would dream him capable of devising. I would say he enjoys it, if I didn't know for a fact that he doesn't realize how coolly he's plotting a child's death."

"What child?"

"The Potter boy." The music stopped and Dashing nuzzled the red hair. "Calm yourself. I won't let that happen. You know I would never let that happen."

The woman nodded and shuddered. "Nothing can happen to him."

"Nothing will. I swear it." Dashing chuckled and nuzzled his beloved's hair more. "But first, before anything else, we must help Ciel and Artemis. Young Harry will be alright in the meanwhile."

Nodding, the woman sighed and returned to her song. "I wish I could see. I would have liked to see him..."

"You will my love. One day very soon. I promise you."

"I feel a little bad, depending on two children to help me regain my sight." She said then, frowning as her fingers continued to move. "They've done enough for me already." She murmured, her fingers beginning to play a slower, darker tune. "I've used Ciel and Artemis enough already."

Dashing moved down and nuzzled her neck. "Love, we are not like the Order. I take only what they have freely given me. I do not harm them or experiment on them the way their own mother does. And Artemis was only to happy to help, once we explained to him why we needed his blood."

"Still, I feel awful about it sometimes. Knowing little Ciel was suffering and not doing a thing about it."

"To have done so would have put her in danger much sooner. You know that."

"Knowing that doesn't make me feel better."

Dashing stilled her hands then and drew his beloved into a fierce embrace. "She's alright now. She had Remus and Severus, and young Harry at her side. Not to mention the affection of Sirius. She's in perfect care."

"That doesn't erase eleven years of pain and hardship. Or make up for it."

"What's important is that she's alright now." Dashing whispered. "I will make sure she stays that way. I think I know her well enough to say that she'd help all she could, if she knew about you."

The woman sighed and nodded, rubbing her stinging eyes then turning and kissing Dashing softly. "Are you going to go out and find Ian?"

"Of course."

"Good."

They sat there for a few moments in silence, simply enjoying one another's company. The woman pulled away first, a smile on her lips. "Ciel will be the one to end the Order, won't she?"

Dashing chuckled and nuzzled the woman's hair once more. "Oh yes. I'll help her of course. But I wouldn't mind a swipe at that Anna-Lee. I know she's Ciel's to revenge on however."

"I don't think Ciel would blame you if she knew what her mother had done to us." The woman said as she turned her gaze in the direction of Dashing's grin. "When do you plan on telling her and Harry?"

"Perhaps after we take care of Ian." Dashing said and stood up, chuckling. "Harry will want to help her destroy the Order as well once he finds out."

The woman sighed as she thought about Harry. "Will he forgive us, when we reveal all our secrets?"

Dashing kissed her softly. "He will forgive us. He will understand once we explain. Harry is a very understanding, very kind young boy."

She smiled brightly then and nodded to herself. "He'll forgive us."

Dashing turned and left her then, heading out into the dusk and focusing his thoughts on their latest enemy.

Sometimes he thought things would be much more easier if he'd just died on that October evening.

_Then again_, he thought with a grin as he began crossing the countryside with his vampiric speed, _things wouldn't be as good if I had stayed dead. Really this whole thing has worked out to my advantage. _

* * *

_**And that my dear readers is the end of another chapter. Wanna know something? Even I hadn't planned on that ending. It came to me as I started writing Dashing's part. Hehe. **_


	17. Trouble

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~Still Doll~

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**Yeah, Still Doll won't be updated every day now, unless I'm in a really hyper good mood. ^^ I do have other fics I've been neglecting... Anywho, the story's almost over! Well if it goes as planned then it's almost over. ^^. **

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Trouble **

January became February in the blink of an eye. Ciel wondered at how fast time was moving now. It seemed like just yesterday she'd learned about Severus and Remus and Artemis. She'd blinked and now here they were, a month later, all living together and getting to know each other more and more.

Artemis had proven that in spite of his magically enhanced mind, he was just like any other little five-year-old. He had also shown a certain dislike towards Ciel's boy friends, a fact that Ciel, Daphne and Hermione found hilarious. Draco, Blaise, Harry and Ron all had a laugh whenever Artemis started pouting or throwing a fit.

"Oh right, this weekend is Valentine's." Daphne said one evening while they were working through their homework, which had seemingly doubled after the Christmas holidays.

"Haha you're not expecting anything are you?" Draco snickered. Daphne gave him a single glare then smacked him upside the head.

"Draco will be getting plenty though." Ciel said as she checked something in her Arithmancy book. "Pretty boy that he is." She added with a giggle. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes yes, I'm amazingly beautiful." Draco replied dryly making everyone chuckle now.

Artemis looked around then wrinkled his nose. "What's Valentine's?"

Ciel blinked then looked down at the little boy, smiling. "Valentine's Day is a day when people give presents to the people they really like. Boyfriends and girlfriends and such." Ciel explained.

"Oh... Sounds icky." Artemis proclaimed. The teenagers laughed and Ciel hugged him tight before returning to her homework.

"So..." Daphne said then, turning to Harry with a smirk. Harry blinked in return, wondering why the Slytherin girl was giving him that piercing look.

"So what?" He asked when he noticed Blaise looking at him as well.

Daphne leaned closer conspiratorially while Blaise struck up a conversation with Ciel about the Arithmancy problem he was working on. "What are you getting Ciel?" Daphne demanded to know. Harry blinked.

"Getting Ciel for what?" He replied, the confusion plain on his face. Draco snickered while Hermione cast him a smiling look and Ron rolled his eyes.

"For Valentine's of course." Daphne rolled her eyes now and Harry felt his cheeks burn.

Artemis looked over at the whispering teens then at Blaise who caught his eye and winked while Ciel pondered over the answers she was getting. He didn't get what had the others so worked up, Harry was even blushing now. Shaking his head a little, Artemis looked over at a grandfather clock and blinked when he realized the time.

"Ciel." Artemis whined then. "I'm getting sleepy." He told her once he had her attention. He added a little yawn and an eyerub for good measure.

Ciel looked up at the clock as well then nodded. "It's nearly nine, no wonder you're worn out." She commented, gathering her things and then letting Artemis scoot off her lap. She picked him up when he held out his arms, laughing a little at how clingy the boy was.

"We should all head to bed, it's nearly curfew." Hermione said as Ciel shifted her bag.

Ciel smiled as her friends began to gather their things and waved. "I'll see you all in the morning then." They nodded in reply and bid her and Artemis good night.

They had just made it to the third floor when Artemis said, "Stop." Ciel stopped, turning to look. Artemis however was looking down a corridor Ciel didn't use. "We need to go down that way."

"Why?" She asked even as she turned away from the stairs that would lead them to their rooms and going where her little brother asked her to. Artemis didn't answer until they reached the end of the corridor and where left facing three paths. Artemis pointed to the right which was shortest and lead to an empty room. Ciel heard the soft chimes of the curfew warning but continued on, shutting the door behind them and setting Artemis down. Artemis hurried over to a cloth-covered table and hopped onto it, smiling at a dark corner.

"Hi Dashing!" Artemis said and Ciel blinked as the vampire stepped away from the wall, chuckling at Artemis who grinned back.

"Hello to you too Arty. And little doll, how are you?" Dashing asked with a half-bow. Ciel smiled.

"Busy. They're already starting to talk about our final exams." Ciel replied, sitting down next to Artemis. Dashing smiled. "What're you doing here?"

Dashing pulled out another vial with a needle. "I'm in need of fresh samples from you and Artemis. I think I'm close to figuring out how to aid in the repair of damaged nerves."

"You work very fast." Ciel mentioned making Dashing shake his head as he put an arm around her arm and tightened it, then pricked her once again.

"I've been working on this for years, but it is only recently that I have had access to resources like you and Artemis." Dashing explained while watching the vial fill with blood. He stemmed the flow, healed Ciel, corked the sample then turned to Artemis who already had his sleeve pulled up.

Ciel watched as Dashing took from Artemis then, a question on the tip of her tongue. Dashing caught her look and smiled. "Penny for your thoughts?" He asked while healing Artemis and corking his blood sample.

"I was just wondering who that special person is." Ciel said then, making Dashing pause. "Because you work so hard for them." Ciel added when Dashing gave her a smirk.

Dashing pondered what to respond with then chuckled a bit and caught Artemis's eye. The little boy gave a shake of his head and Dashing smiled. He reached over and ruffled Ciel's hair. "She is special. She...is my wife."

Ciel stared at Dashing in obvious surprise, making the vampire chuckle. "Dashing has a wife." She muttered, blinking twice before grinning. The grin died however as another question surfaced. "What is wrong with her?" Dashing felt his jaw clench. Ciel looked away, knowing that look meant he didn't want to talk about it. "Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

Dashing waved away the apology, sighing and rubbing his forehead. "It's my fault she's hurt." Dashing said softly. "That's why it's hard to talk about." Dashing sighed more harshly. "And the reason we lost our son."

The gasp that escaped from the little teenager made Dashing grin sardonically. "It is true. I am to blame. She would not wish me to say so, she is forever telling me it had nothing to do with my actions." Dashing looked off at the far wall, eyes far away. "But it did. Whether partially or fully, it did."

Ciel pulled Artemis close and stared at the vampire, who was wearing a mask of torment and self-loathing. She'd never in all her years seen such pain in a person's eyes. "What did you do?" Ciel asked as she watched his face shift into anger. Dashing looked over at them for a few moments before sighing.

"It isn't the sort of story to tell children before bed." Dashing said. Ciel cocked an eyebrow at him then, recalling nights in those dark years were she'd fallen asleep to tales of bloodshed or the screams of her mother's experiments. Dashing must have remembered this because he gave a short laugh. "Right, I forget, you're not exactly normal children." Ciel and Artemis shook their heads. "Very well."

"Many years ago, my wife, our son, and I were under threat from the Dark Lord Voldemort." Dashing began, his gold eyes losing focus and his hands curling into fists. "We weren't sure exactly what he wanted with us, but we knew we wouldn't be safe if we remained on our own. We looked everywhere for help and finally we discovered the Order of the Autumn Dawn." Ciel's eyes widened, making Dashing pause and nod. "It began there really. All of our stories began there." Dashing told her, reaching up to ruffle her hair. "This was before I knew anything about who they really were though. All I knew was that we were in danger, and that I was willing to do anything to protect my family."

"Anna-Lee took care of us personally. I should have seen how disasterous it would end, but I was more worried about my wife and our child than anything else. Anne-Lee promised us aid, for a price of course. My wife was made to participate in an experiment in old Dark Arts Blood Magic. They created a clone of her, and studied how the Blood Magic binded the original and the clone. It was more than a little eerie really. The incredible thing was that they were nothing alike. My wife is sweet and soft, a woman who cherishes life. Her clone was more of a wild person, worried mainly about herself and those she considered her own. The most amazing trait though, was that the clone was just as attached to my son as my wife."

"And your price?" Ciel asked when Dashing had lapsed into silence. The vampire blinked, coming out of his past to smirk.

"I was turned into what you see now." Dashing told her, spreading his arms to the side. "I allowed the Order to use me to test a new serum they felt would extend my life, made from the venom of vampires. This was before they switched to werewolves. It worked but it also changed me into a vampire, which they didn't want." Dashing shrugged. "Well it's worked out for me in either case."

"Voldemort discovered our hideout a while after we went under the Order's protection. Voldemort probably believed he'd killed me, when in fact the Killing Curse had merely injured me gravely. You can't exactly kill a walking corpse." Dashing chuckled a second before his eyes went cold. "He then attacked my wife's clone and our son. Because of the bonds they shared due to the Blood Magic, my wife was injured when her clone was destroyed by the Killing Curse. And our son..." Dashing's voice faded into silence, leaving Ciel to imagine what had happened to Dashing's boy.

The silence continued for a long time, until somewhere nearby a clock struck out the ten o'clock hour. Dashing blinked, then chuckled and shook his head. "Oh dear, you're going to get a good scolding for being late now. How rude of me."

Ciel stared at him for a long second then got up and took one of his hands in her own. "Is that why you saved me from my mother's spell? Because of what they did to you and your wife?"

Dashing gazed at her a long time before nodding. "I couldn't let a little thing like you keep suffering. It wouldn't have been right."

"Wait." Artemis spoke up, making Ciel jump. He'd been so quiet during the whole tale. "So...you're not as old as you told me you were?"

Dashing laughed then, sounding much like his usual self. "Nope. I'm only just going to turn thirty-three." Ciel and Artemis shared a look then burst into giggles.

Once her giggles had died down, she studied the vampire for a second. "Why're you telling me any of this?" Ciel asked then. She was twisting her fingers together and looking away at the wall. "You didn't have to. I know...how hard it is to talk about pain..."

Dashing knelt so that he was staring into her dark eyes and grinned charmingly. "Because little doll, my little Arcadia, I told you I had plans for you." Dashing pat her head and smirked darkly. "We're going to bring that Order down. And then we'll move onto the biggest fish of them all."

"The biggest fish?"

Dashing nodded, giving her hair one final ruffle and then heading back to the shadowy corner. "The baddest of them all my Arcadia. But, that's all in due time. First things first. I must find Ian and have a little...chat with him." Dashing gold eyes glinted even as he melted into the darkness of the room. "I'll come find you when I've done so. Run along now you two. Children need their sleep."

And with that the vampire disappeared. Ciel watched the corner for a few seconds then scooped Artemis up into her arms and hurried to get them to their rooms. She had new things to turn over in her mind. Dashing's special person was his wife. He hadn't been a vampire for forever like she had thought. He hated the Order very much. Maybe not as much as she did, but he disliked them greatly. And he had plans for her. The Order and then this 'bigger fish'. Just what were those plans at any rate? What was that vampire going to make her do?

"Where have you been?" Severus's cool tones broke through her thoughts as she blinked to find herself in the middle of the sitting room, Artemis already sprawled out on the pillows in the corner, Sirius and Remus sitting on a couch, Severus looming over her.

"Dashing showed up. He wanted a chat." Ciel told him. Severus glared for a second then let out a long, slow breath, pulling her unexpectedly into his arms. She blinked before slowly returning the embrace.

"I was worried. Do not do this again." Severus whispered into her hair.

It didn't really matter what Dashing was planning to use her for, she figured as she looked up into Severus's worry-lined face. She'd help him. He had someone important...and so did she. Many important people. "I won't Severus. I'm sorry I worried you."

"Try not to make a habit of it and I will forgive you." Severus said then, releasing her and letting Remus look her over with the worried eyes.

Ciel smiled and nodded.

* * *

"So Dashing's wife is the important person." Harry murmured as he and Ciel walked on the grounds, Sirius with them and Artemis ahead of them on a toy broom Remus had bought for him. Remus and Severus were hanging back, talking to themselves about something or other. Harry had been so busy over the last month, working with his Quidditch team and then working through his mountains of homework that Ciel hadn't managed to find time to tell him about Dashing. The Hogsmeade trip that had come up at the beginning of March had provided the perfect opportunity to catch him up. "And Dashing got sucked into the Order for their experiments too..."

Harry scowled as Ciel nodded, eyes distant as her fingers slowly ran over her gloved hands. "I wish there was somethng I could do." Harry muttered then, reaching up to pat Ciel's shoulder. "Something to help you and Arty and everyone else." He said when Ciel looked at him. Ciel smiled then, patting his hand in return.

"The Order is mine to handle Harry." Ciel said then, voice hard. Harry turned to see her waving to Artemis, a light smile on her lips even as her eyes glittered. "I'll stop them, someday."

"Hey you two!" The shout came from the gates and they turned to find Ron rushing towards, the others on his tail. Ron skidded to a halt and doubled over, sucking in air harshly. "You...you won't believe...look at this!" Ron gasped, shoving a Daily Prophet into Harry's hands.

Looking down at the paper, Ciel and Harry saw what had Ron rushing over to them.

_...Due to the attention placed on Sirius Black after his escape from Azkaban, the Minsitry has been reviewing his case in an effort to discover any clues as to where he may be hiding or what he has escaped to do. This investigative probe has turned up many disturbing details previously kept under wraps. _

_Aside from the scadalous lack of solid proof, there has also been word circulating that Black was denied the usual methods of proving innocence in the wake of his capture. He was not tested with Veritaserum, his memories were not viewed, his wand was not tested, and the evidence from the crime scene was never properly processed. _

_Another shocking find was the discovery of the body of Peter Pettigrew, earlier in the year. Pettigrew was believed to be dead all these years, and his apparent murder was in fact one of the reasons Black was thrown into Azkaban. Many speculate that Black escaped to commit the thirteenth murder he was accused of but Department of Magical Law Enforcement says that there is no evidence of Black being capable of mangling the body in such a manner without a wand. _

_All these startling discoveries have led many to begin questioning if what we all believed happened that November day twelve years ago was in fact what happened. Perhaps there are more secrets waiting to jump out of the woodwork. _

"Wow." Harry said, looking up to find all their friends surrounding them. They'd also managed to walk into Hogsmeade by now "Everyone knows about it now."

"Yep." Ron said with a grin. "Won't be long now mate."

"What won't be long?" Draco asked, looking from one to the other. "And what're you grinning for Weasley?"

"None of your business Malfoy." Ron replied, grinning like a loon when Draco turned his steely gaze onto the redhead.

Harry looked down to were Sirius was prancing by his side, barking happily and jumping around Artemis. The dog looked very happy to hear about how badly the Ministry had messed up his case. That pardon could almost be felt in the very air.

"What's all this about having the wand tested and memories viewed?" Harry asked then. Draco snorted, rolling his eyes skyward.

"Honestly Potter, you can't be that dense." Draco sighed. "When a wizard is accused of a crime, they are usually questioned with Veritaserum, which is a truth serum. It can be beaten though, its not infallible. So then the law enforcement move to viewing the memories. Memories can be taken from a person's mind and looked at for clues. Memories are harder to fake you see. And testing the wand means making the wand regurgitate shadows of the spells it has cast, which of course can't be faked at all unless you were using someone else's wand."

Harry blinked. "Then why didn't they do all that for Black?"

"You must understand Harry," Remus said now, startling the teens, "that everything was in complete chaos at the time. Voldemort was gone, and Death Eaters were scurrying around, covering their involvment or simply running. The Ministry had enough circumstantial evidence and seemingly solid eyewitness accounts that made Black come out as the villain."

Harry still scowled while he tossed the paper in a nearby rubbish bin. "Pft."

Ciel grabbed Harry's hand then, dragging him towards Honeydukes. "What's important is that soon you and Sirius can be together just like me and my dads." She told him quietly. Harry looked down to where Sirius was following him now, tail wagging. "Arty! C'mon silly, let's get some candy!"

"Candy!" Artemis cheered, hopping off his toy broom and propping it against the outside of the store front.

"You all have fun. We'll meet you in the Three Broomsticks." Remus called as they entered the shop. Ciel waved at him to show she'd heard before being swallowed up by the crowd.

They left Honeydukes about ten minutes later, all munching happily on some sweets. Artemis hopped back onto his broomstick, zooming ahead of them and around them all. Ciel felt at peace with her friends and family around her. She could get used to the feeling.

"Arty!" Ciel called as her little brother zoomed further and further ahead. "Arty!" She called louder. The boy couldn't hear. "Artemis!" She shouted, taking off after him, her friends running after her. Ciel watched as Artemis headed too fast down the lane and suddenly a low wall was before him. He turned sharply, flying off with a soundless yell as his broom shot off into a clump of trees. "Artemis!"

When she reached him at last it was to find Artemis being picked up by a man. Ciel dropped her sweets bag and rushed over as Artemis slowly came too. "Arty!"

"Is he your little brother?" The man asked kindly, handing Artemis to Ciel. The man looked up when her friends reached them.

"Is he alright!" Daphne and Hermione asked, looking at Artemis as the boy blinked and groaned.

"What happened?" Artemis asked, wincing as he moved his head. "My head hurts."

"You were going to fast and you fell off your broom." Ciel replied. "Arty! You're going to be grounded when we go home!" She huffed then, grimacing at him as he looked up at her in surprise. "I called your name! You must have heard me! And I already told you back at school not to fly too fast!" She huffed as the boy blinked at her. Ciel felt her eyes sting then before she held Artemis tightly to her, hiding her face in his hair.

"I'm sorry..." Artemis replied, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"We should get him to Madame Pomfrey." Hermione said then.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." The man they'd all forgotten said as he strode forward, knocking Hermione and Daphne aside as he reached Ciel and Artemis. "Otherwise I might not get another chance...with that vampire around."

"What?" Ciel's voice came out as a hush. The man chuckled and in a flash had sunken a needle into her neck, making her gasp then wobble right into his arms.

"Ciel!" Harry shouted as the girl dropped to her knees. Artemis clung to her tightly, whimpering at the jarring motion of Ciel's fall. Harry ran to her, looking up at the man as he cast a barrier, keeping the others from coming through.

"Ah and Harry Potter too. Well, the more the merrier I suppose." The man chuckled.

Ciel groaned, falling over into Harry who was shouting at the man now. She couldn't hear most of it. It all sounded like it was far away, coming at her through water. She felt herself floating off and the edges of her vision were growing dark. She looked up at the man then as he stabbed Harry in the neck now. She tried to tell him to stop but her lips felt swollen and numb.

Harry groaned as the man tied him and Ciel together with another spell and then spun in place, making the world whirl and spin disorientatingly. He nearly threw-up when they stopped but managed to hold it back through sheer force of will.

The man chuckled and pulled something off his face. It looked like putty. Ciel just thought his face was melting off.

Artemis groaned as he looked up at the man in spite of his blinding headache and then gasped. "Uncle Ian!" He whimpered.

The man chuckled. "Took you long enough Artemis." He said while he untied the two teens. Ciel and Harry slumped over, eyes glossy and lips parted as whatever they'd been injected with knocked them out. Artemis shook them while Ian laughed.

"That was nearly close. Dashing almost managed to get through the barrier." Ian was saying to someone. Artemis didn't care who, he already had a bad feeling he knew where they'd been taken. He focused on Ciel then, and Harry beside her.

"I'm sorry." He whimpered as he lay across Ciel's body, determined to protect it as much as he could.

"Artemis." The little boy looked up and shuddered as he clung to Ciel's motionless body.

"Mother." Artemis replied and shut his eyes, hiding his face in Ciel's side.

* * *

Sirius took one look at the space where Harry, Ciel and Artemis had disappeared from, then ran off towards the pub, barking and raising as much of an alarm as he could along the way. He barged past a couple at the door of the pub and stopped barking long enough to spot Severus and Remus talking over a piece of parchment. He raced over to them, barking and jumping on each of them.

"Damned mutt, what is it!" Severus shouted as Sirius knocked over the goblet right into his lap. Sirius took a mouthful of his robes and began pulling.

"Did something happen to the children?" Remus asked then and Sirius pounced on him, nodding his head while still barking. "Take us there." Remus said and Sirius took off once more, barreling past people once more.

When they reached they reached the place where the children had disappearedf from, they found a ring of people forming. "What happened!" Severus demanded as he pulled Draco over to him.

Draco blinked rapidly then shook a little. "Some man...he...Artemis was going too fast on his broom, he fell off. This man picked him up and handed him to Ciel." Draco's voice grew steadier as the words made the images in his head more real. "Granger said we ought to take Artemis to the infirmary but then the man stepped up and blocked us off from Ciel and Artemis. Potter managed to get to them before the guy put up a barrier. Then the man injected them with something and they both kinda passed out. He tied them up and Apparated away..." Draco's voice trailed off now as he realized with a shock what he'd seen. His friend, her brother, and Potter had just been kidnapped.

"Professor..." It was Hermione who spoke now as Aurors appeared, pushing people aside and jostling the crowd away from the scene. "Professor...I think he was...a member of the Order." Hermione whispered, eyes wide and face pale. Remus and Severus glanced at her swiftly.

"Why do you say that?" Severus asked her as the Aurors began speaking to some people, who were pointing over to the teenagers.

Hermione shook and trembled. "Because Harry shouted at him, before he was tied up. Harry asked him why he was hurting Ciel...and the man said 'I'm not hurting her yet...I'll leave that up to her Mother'."

Severus and Remus exchanged another look, their eyes holding such darkness and rage that Hermione shook more. Sirius was snarling and snapping at people who tried to get too close to the teens now.

"What's going on here?" One of the Aurors asked as he finally reached them all. The teens turned to them along with the professors but it was Blaise who spoke.

"A man has kidnapped our friends." Blaise said in an oddly calm tone. "Ciel Snape, her brother Artemis Ylvyn, and Harry Potter."

And that was all it took for the world to erupt into chaos.

* * *

Harry groaned as he woke up, wincing at the bright light on his face. He scrunched his face up and turned to the side, slowly opening his eyes. After blinking a few times his eyes began to adjust to the light.

He was in a room of some sort. The walls were mostly glass. He groaned again at a flare of pain in his neck and turned to the other side.

Ciel lay beside him, her eyes open and as lifeless as they would get whenever anyone made her speak of her Mother. Harry got up and crawled over to her. "Ciel?"

She blinked, making Harry breathe a sigh of relief. "Where's Arty?" He asked, looking around and then sighing in relief again as he saw the boy propped against the wall behind him. "Arty?" He asked, getting to his feet and walking over to the boy. Artemis was staring straight ahead, his hazel-green eyes looking almost as empty as Ciel's. "Arty?" Harry asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

His fingers barely brushed the boy's skin before he let out a shout and tears fell from his eyes. Harry pulled back, then reached out again, tugging on the collar of Arty's shirt to the side. He saw a big and purple splotch that made his breath catch. "Arty, what happened!"

Artemis slowly focused on Harry as he reached out to the older boy. "They...the man was Ian." Artemis whispered in a trembling voice. Harry felt the color leave his face as he picked up Artemis, careful to avoid his injured shoulder, and took him back over to Ciel who was forcing herself to sit up. Once Harry had set Artemis down, Ciel pulled him into her lap, her arms wrapping around his middle in a vice-like grip.

"Ian...fuck..." Harry cursed as he looked around the room once more. What wasn't made of glass was padded with some soft material. He tried to look out through the glass but it was tinted so much that he only saw vague shapes. "Where is this place?" He asked, his stomach flip-flopping as he imagined the many places that maniac from the Order could have taken them too.

"Home." Artemis said in such a dull tone that Harry's eyes were drawn to him. "This is the base of operations for the Order of the Autumn Dawn." Artemis explained, his little hand hovering over his shoulder.

Harry put a hand to his forehead as he stared at Ciel, who was trembling. "How long have I been out?" He demanded to know.

"An hour or two." Artemis replied. "They were ready for us." He added as his hand clenched into a little fist.

"What happened to your shoulder Arty?" Harry asked then. Artemis shuddered.

"They made a feral werewolf bite me." Artemis told him. "It hurts...but its healing..." He added with a hiss.

Ciel convulsed once then a sound like a dog growling came from her clenched teeth. She caught Harry's eye as a fire sprang into her eyes. "They still think we're their dolls." She hissed as they heard a door open behind them. Turning they saw a woman with dark hair and cold brown eyes walking into the room. Ciel let go of Artemis and stood with Harry's help. Harry recognized the woman in the next second. Ciel's Boggart...it had turned into this woman.

This was Anna-Lee Dawn, Ciel's mother.

Harry scowled as the woman walked forward with a smug look on her face.

"So Dashing made you remember and ended the rituals effects." Anna-Lee said as she walked slowly around the teens and child, her eyes jumping from one face to another. Her smug look deepened as she eyeballed Harry. "Ha...what else has he done since he betrayed us?" Anna-Lee asked then.

Ciel stared up at her mother then in a blink had slammed into the woman's stomach with all her strength. Anna-Lee appeared surprised as she stumbled back a few steps. Ciel just stood back as well, keeping Artemis behind her and grimacing as Harry tried to push her behind him.

Anna-Lee hissed and backed away to the door. "Stupid girl. Well no matter, the ritual can be redone. This time I'll make sure to do it myself." With that the woman whirled out of the room.

Ciel stood standing a few seconds longer before her legs gave out and she fell to the floor. Harry turned to her then. Ciel's lips trembled as she pulled Harry closer, hiding her face in his chest.

"I'm scared." She whispred. Harry gulped and held her close. He was scared too. He had been hearing about Anna-Lee all year. He knew how cruel and heartless she could be.

He pulled Artemis to him as well and let both of them cry on him while he kept an eye on the door. They were in for a lot of trouble now.

* * *

**_End chappy. Hope you enjoyed. _**


	18. The Curtain Rises

****

~Still Doll~

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**Sorry y'all for the wait. My cousins spent the week with me and I hardly got any time on the computer these past few days. **

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: The Curtain Rises**

"A most grievious affair... Harry Potter kidnapped!" Fudge was saying now, pacing.

"Ciel and Artemis were taken too!" Draco shouted then, only being held back by the hand his father had on his shoulder. Lucius looked down at Draco in surprise. "They're the ones that bloke was after! Potter was just a bonus!" Draco scowled, shaking his head. "Stupid, bloody Potter..."

"They're fine, for now." They all turned to find Dumbledore was helping a woman sit in a newly transfigured chair in his office. The teenagers had been crammed in there after they'd spoken to the Aurors. Severus and Lupin were there as well, looking dumbstruck and seething under their masks of confusion. How could Ian Dawn have taken the children so easily...?

Now their parents had been brought here, and this woman was the last of them to arrive. Blaise rose from where he'd been kneeling by his mother's side to embrace the tall, dark-skinned woman with her amazing hazel eyes. "Aunt Vivi." Blaise breathed, holding the woman tightly for a moment then releasing her.

"Cornelius, everyone, this is Vivianna Zabini." Dumbledore introduced. The woman smiled kindly to them all. "Do not fret children, no irreparable harm shall befall them. They will bear some scars," Vivianna said as her eyes slid out of focus, "but the scars will heal. Have faith."

"What-?" Fudge asked as he eyed the woman.

"Miss Zabini is a Seer of great renown. She has been relaying messages to me all year long, which is how I first became aware of Ciel." Dumbledore replied, giving Severus and Remus an apologetic look. "I tried to manage the situation she warned me of, but alas, I have failed."

"You what?" Severus asked in a deadly whisper that the teenagers knew very well. It was the tone he reserved for Neville after the Boggart incident.

Dumbledore bowed his head a little. "I knew of what was to come. Miss Zabini told me it would be futile to keep this a secret for long. I did not heed her warnings however."

Vivianna pushed some sleek black hair behind her shoulder while giving Dumbledore and openly disdainful smirk. "You believe that all that occurs under this roof is yours to regulate. You have forgotten that the twists and turns of fate are far beyond your control. What has been Seen will come to pass, did I not warn you of that?" Dumbledore nodded and the woman gave a short nod of her own, moving to stand beside her nephew and sister.

"What exactly have you not been telling me sister?" Ms. Zabini asked now, looking up at her sister with a frown.

"There is much I could not say, Ariadne." Vivianna said to Blaise's mother. "Now that the climax is upon us, I believe it is time to reveal all the final secrets. Do you not agree, Dashing?"

From the doorway came Dashing and a cloaked figure. Dashing was not grinning or even smirking this time. He nodded to Vivianna and then gave Dumbledore a little bow. "What do you all know?" Dashing asked then, turning to the teenagers.

Hermione looked at the other then stood up from between her parents. "We were walking down the street. Arty was on his broom. He was going so fast. Ciel got scared, she chased after him. We all did. Then Arty tried to turn and he fell off the broom and hurt himself. Before we could reach him a man picked him up. He gave Arty to Ciel. Arty looked like he might have a concussion. I said we ought to get him to Pomfrey. The man said he wouldn't let us and injected Ciel with something that made her collapse. Harry and the rest of us tried to grab them, but the man put up a shield. Harry managed to dive at them in time and that when the man injected him too. He took them and Disapparated." Hermione swayed a little at the end of her rendition of the facts. "We couldn't stop him." Hermione whimpered, hiding her face in her hands as her mother pat her back. "Mr. Dashing...he mentioned Ciel's mother."

Dashing nodded. "It was Ian then." Dashing growled, clenching his hand into a fist. "I almost had him in Wales, but he slipped past me." Dashing scowled for a moment, then turned to Vivianna. "Ladies first." He said with a bow as the cloaked figure beside him took a seat in a chair Dumbledore had conjured for them. Vivianna smirked then shut her eyes.

"Around the beginning of last year, I began to get visions of a girl. A girl who was little more than a doll." Vivianna began. "I saw her escaping after witnessing a murder, I saw her Apparating to England and falling into a muddy garden. All throughout the spring I saw visions of her. She was rescued by Sirius Black, and he has been taking care of her all this time."

Fudge gave a start. "Sirius Black! Miss Zabini! You have known of Black's whereabouts and witheld this vital information!"

Vivianna shared a look with Ariadne who gave a slight sigh. "Minister, Sirius Black is a puppy compared to what may come to pass." Vivianna told him in a cool tone that had Fudge shutting up. "As I was saying, Sirius Black has maintained contact with her, taken care of her when she had no one. He is innocent by the way. His crimes are falsehoods, invented in a time of post-war hysteria." Vivianna smiled when the Minister flinched. "But mostly I saw the girl. Arcadia, Ciel."

"Aunt Vi told me to watch over her as well." Blaise said then. "Especially after I read her tea leaves. Aunt Vi told me that Ciel was in need of companionship and that I should befriend her. It was not difficult to be kind to her." Blaise said, looking away now, eyes burning with rage.

"As my visions continued I began learning more and more about her and the world she had escaped. A world of torment of neglect. She was nothing more than a guinea pig for the experiments of the Order of the Autumn Dawn."

Fudge seemed to have regained his bluster at that moment. "The Order of the what?" He demanded to know.

Dashing sneered at the round wizard. "A society that has been in operation many years, over three generations. Led by the Dawn family, they have been experimenting in ways to make some sort of immortality serum. Anna-Lee Dawn is the head of the entire outfit. She has been procreating children with werewolves in order to give her and her followers more test subjects."

Fudge and several of the others in the headmaster's office looked very pale or very green by then. Dashing huffed. "Continue please."

Vivianna took a steadying breath. "My visions strengthed over time and expanded until I was seeing more possible futures. When Dashing released Arcadia from the Still Doll ritual's hold on her, the future solidified. I saw two paths, clear and distinct." The witch paused and seemed to stare into a world none of them could see. "The crucial point is coming fast. Harry will decide which path they are led down. Ciel and he will need to be strong."

"Why?" The cloaked person spoke now, leaning forward in their seat. "What are those outcomes you have seen? How do Harry and Ciel figure into them?"

Vivianna held up a hand to stem the murmurings from the rest of the room. Once it was silent she spoke again. "I see the Order ending in both cases, but whether for good or for the moment is up to Ciel and Harry. They will need to be strong, and not cower beneath the tortures that will face them." At the indignant noises coming from her audience now, Vivianna shook her head. "Already they are being seized up, and they will be used. I cannot see where the Order is located. I cannot help there. I only know that no matter the case, whether we could arrive there in the next hour or sooner, they will still suffer in some form."

Many scowls and angry mutterings followed her solemn words. "But have hope, as I said before. They are both children with strong spirits. They have love, boundless and unyeilding love, and I am certain the Order will be finished, so long as they have faith in each other." Vivianna told them then.

"The Order must be ended." Vivianna said in a colder tone. "The must be stopped, permanently, and if the children succeed, it will save us much despair." Vivianna turned to Dumbledore then. "I told you headmaster, that I had another vision, separate from the ones of Harry and Ciel."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Which was?" Dashing asked before Dumbledore could speak.

Vivianna bowed her head. "The Dark Lord will rise again. Terrible and more powerful than before. He will be resurrected...and unless Harry and Ciel manage to destroy the Order completely...it will the Order that will bring him back. That cannot be allowed to happen. The Order would bring him back in a body filled with unimaginable strength, and as close to immortal as a mere human can get without the aid of vampire venom, werewolf bite or magical elixir. That is one of the paths this story can take."

"And what of the other one?" Ariadne asked her sister. "You said there were two paths."

The Seer nodded. "The other path is that Harry and Ciel find the way to completely dismantle the Order. If...no, _when _they succeed, they will force the Dark Lord to find another means of ressurection."

"You're mad!" Fudge let out the words explosively. "There is no way You-Know-Who can return!"

Vivianna rolled her eyes then. "Minister, if you deny this fact now -for it is fact, make no mistake, he _will _return- then you will lose your title of Minister in two year's time." Vivianna warned. "A true Seer does not lie. We who have the Sight have been gifted and cursed with the burden of relating out visions to the greater world. We speak, and warn, and beseech you all to take heed of our words, lest our world falls into chaos."

There was a moment of silence following Vivianna's speech. The Seer sighed. "I can do no more. I warned Dumbledore to not interfere, and yet he did. I cannot fault him too harshly, he has always been a man who has stood, for the greater good." Vivianna said and Dumbledore gave a small, impercitible twitch.

"The future is murky at the moment. Too much hinges on what Harry and Ciel manage to accomplish." Vivianna told them. "We must have faith, and believe in the children. That is all we can do meanwhile."

Dashing shook his head. "We will find them before they suffer too much. I can locate them." He looked down at his palm then turned to his companion who lifted their head then nodded. Dashing sighed, rubbing his face. "Guess its our turn to come clean too hrm?"

"Yes it is." And the person stood to remove their cloak. It pooled in the chair and she stared unseeingly at a spot above Dumbledore's head. The headmaster stared ahead with wide eyes.

"Lily." He breathed at last.

The woman turned slowly and just as slowly shocked gasps and shrieks filled the room. She stood beside Dashing, her face pulled into a painful smile. "Where's Severus? And Remus?" She asked Dashing. He turned her gently in the direction of the two men and the woman walked forward, hands held out.

Severus and Remus held out their hands automatically, gasping when her hands closed around theirs. "Severus? Remus?"

"Lily..." Remus breathed while Severus continued to stare up at him in spooked shock. Lily squeezed their hands, kneeling in front of them.

"I'm very sorry you two. Very sorry. For not telling you both we lived. For using Ciel as much as I have." Lily bowed her head. "I'm terribly sorry for anything I might have done that led to Ciel being taken away from you. And just after you got her back too. Really, I'm truly sorry. Please...forgive me."

There was suspenseful silence as the two professors stared down at the woman, with her thick, dark red hair, her fair complexion, and her milky-green eyes that saw nothing. Slowly Severus moved forward, cupping her cheek.

"Lily...Lily...How are you here in front of us?" He asked, voice no more than a breath.

Lily smiled a little, turning to Dashing. "It's thanks to James, of course."

Remus's head whipped up. "James?" He asked and the vampire grinned a heartbreakingly familiar grin. He snapped his fingers and the long white hair became jet black and untamed. The eyes remained golden, and the skin pale, but the features morphed into the face Remus had last seen, all those years ago. "James!"

Cries and shocked faces watched on as Dashing, or rather James, strode forward to clasp Remus's free arm in a tight grip. "Remus." James said and his voice sounded much more like his own now.

"What the bloody hell is going on!" Ron shouted then, breaking the moment of reunion. They turned to find the redhead standing up, confusion and annoyance and anger warring for expression on his face. "Are you bloody telling me you're...you're...and her! She's...Harry's...!"

James laughed a little. "Yes Ron. I'm James and this is my wife Lily. And we are Harry's parents."

The room broke out into shouted questions and noises of supreme confusion and disbelief. James quieted them down with a snap of his fingers that had their voices lodging in their throats. "Sorry 'bout that but really, all the screaming won't get you answers." He chided, grinning like the vampire Dashing.

"But how?" Dumbledore asked then, having risen from his seat and standing before them now. "I saw you both. You had no pulse James. And Lily..."

James sighed as he helped Lily up and dragged her chair so she wouldn't be kneeling anymore. "Well in an attempt to avoid delays and other such pains, I'll give you the short version for now." James explained to them then the story he'd given to Ciel just a few weeks prior. He explained how, in his desperation to save Lily and Harry, he'd gone to the Order of the Autumn Dawn. He'd discovered them by chance, found them wrangling a vampire before he had needed to go into hiding. Anna-Lee had given him a card, with a spell that would take him to the headquarters. He met with Anna-Lee, then returned to his hideout to consult with Lily. Lily too, feared for their family and agreed. Anna-Lee created a clone from Lily, and fed James a serum made from vampire venom. James was then transformed into a vampire, while the Lily-clone returned with him to the safehouse, where they protected Harry until that Halloween night.

The real Lily had been kept safely hidden in another safe house. "When my clone was destroyed, I felt it." Lily said to them when James had stopped speaking and turned to her. "We were tied by the Blood Magic the Order used. I felt her pain as the life she'd barely been given was stripped away. I also felt her worry and fear for Harry. You see, they copied my memories too, and implanted them into her head. So she knew how strong my love for Harry was. That is why he was saved, I think. It might not have been my own soul or my own body, but the clone held all my love for Harry." Lily wrapped her arms around herself. "I lost my sight shortly after the clone was killed. James and I have guessed it is the price of the Blood Magic the Order invoked. I was grateful it was nothing more."

"I understand all that." Dumbledore said then in the silence. "But why did you not come forward sooner?"

James and Lily shared a look with each other. "We thought it would be best if the world continued to think we were dead. For a while only. The years passed so quickly..." Lily shook her head. "It took James this long to heal me of the wounds I sustained when my clone was destroyed. Before now...I was a right mess..." Lily gave a small, unamused chuckle then shook her head. "Blood Magic should never be tampered with in such ways... That was my mistake and I paid the price."

James held her tight before turning to the others. "Lily wasn't exactly in the shape to take care of a son, and I was too busy trying to keep her as healthy as possible. We wouldn't have made a good home for Harry in those years..." James growled then. "I should have tried though. It was my insistence that we not go after Harry until Lily was healed. I was stupid..."

Lily shook her head and pat James's arm. "We both were love." Lily sighed then, milky-eyes tearing up. "Now we can only move forward. We have to help Harry and Ciel."

Remus and Severus stared at their friends for a long moment before they stood and placed a hand on Lily's, looking from her to James and back. "We will help as well."

"We'll all help!" Piped up Ron, whose ears turned pink when the attention was focused on him. "Well I mean...Harry and Hermione and me, we've always worked together." Ron explained as he shared a look with Hermione who was nodding, eyes blazing with conviction. "We've taken on trolls, gotten through enchantments, and helped him kick You-Know-Who's arse twice!" Ron added with the beginnings of a grin on his fingers. "And now we've got Ciel to take care of too and there's no way that we're just going to sit here and leave you all in charge." Ron added with a snort.

"Ronald!" Molly Weasley scolded but Ron just shook his head at his mother.

"Well it's true!" Ron said to this mother as she looked ready to scold him. "Since when have adults ever been honest with us? Believed us? McGonagall didn't believe us about the stone! And everyone was too busy blaming Harry last year to discover what was really going on with Riddle and the Chamber!" The adults all looked around a little sheepishly at the teens words. Ron gave a small nod, feeling elated at the small concession and turned to Hermione. "C'mon Hermione, we've got planning to do."

"Right. We should get some supplies ready." Hermione was saying, standing up and wiping her damp face.

"And just what supplies are you going to get if you don't even know where you're going?" James asked them, bemused. Ron and Hermione stopped talking and turned to him.

"We'll figure it out. Trust us." Ron said. James couldn't help it, he laughed. Ron turned pink and James held up a hand as the boy opened his mouth.

"Sorry, it's just, I never really appreciated how loyal you both were to Harry." James said. He clapped his hands together then, rubbing them and smirking in a very Dashing way. "Well then, gather round children and I'll tell you everything about the headquarters of the Order."

"You know where it is?" Hermione asked then as she and Ron, followed by Blaise moved over to James.

"Wait, what, no!" Molly said suddenly. "Absolutely not! Ronald Bilius Weasley you are going to stay here!"

"I am not!" Ron replied, startling his mother.

"Ronald." Arthur Weasley said then, surprised as well at his youngest son's determined look.

"Hermione, you're clever but you're too young! And this sounds extrememly dangerous! Please see sense and let the adults work on this." Hermione's mother said. Hermione shook her head.

"Don't worry about the danger part Mum, it's kind of unavoidable when your best friend is Harry Potter." Hermione replied with a fond smile. The smile slid off her face in the next second. "I can't sit here. I won't. I'll find another way out even if you all try to keep me locked up in the dorm or something. Harry needs us. Him and Ciel both need us." Hermione looked pleadingly at her parents. "They've been gone for eight hours already! Who knows what horrible things Ciel's uncle and mother are putting them through? They've suffered enough without being subjected to whatever sick and twisted plans the Order has for them."

"Well if Granger's going..." Draco spoke up then, pulling himself out of his parents' grip. "Count me in."

Ron gaped at him. "You're coming?"

"For Ciel of course. She's a Slytherin." Draco replied with a huff. "We take care of our own."

Lily let out a small laugh then. They turned to face her and found the woman was smiling through silent tears. "You are all so brave...but it will be dangerous. Very dangerous. The Order is ruthless."

"_Which is why they won't be going_!" Molly shouted. Ron grimaced.

"It can't be anymore dangerous than walking into Aragog's clearing." The redhead said before he blinked and flushed red under the scrutiny of his parents and professors.

"You have seen Aragog?" Dumbledore asked then, looking slightly amused.

Ron rubbed at his head, avoiding any eye contact with his mother. "Er...well...last year yeah. We needed to find out about the Chamber and Hagrid said to follow the spiders..."

Draco snorted then. "You'd known Hagrid for a year and you still followed advice the man gave you?" He asked as Ron scowled at him.

"Well at least Hagrid didn't slip my sister a cursed-"

"Ron!" Hermione whacked him upside the head while Draco flushed pink. "Now's not the time for accusations!" But she whirled around and pointed a menacing finger at Draco. "But know this Malfoy, I won't tolerate any of your screw-ups. This is a rescue mission, got it?"

Draco blinked but then nodded. "Understood Granger."

"What part of 'you're not going' do you children not understand!" Molly nearly shrieked.

"Mr. Dashing, er I mean Mr. Potter will help us." Hermione said then, turning to James who was eyeing them all with a curious smirk. "You know we can help. Somehow. Take us there, we'll be as useful as possible."

Ron, Blaise and Draco nodded, looking steadily up at James. Hermione turned to ask Daphne was she was going to do and found the girl had been spelled into sleep by her mother. Hermione frowned but then turned back to James.

"Hmm...you do bring up a good point." James said then with a wink.

"No! You will not be taking the children!" Molly said, waving her hands indignantly. Whirling to the other parents she asked, "How can you just sit there and not try to keep your children safe!"

Lucius and Narcissa shook their heads. "We will not be letting Draco go on his own of course." Lucius said then. "As if that were an option with our only son. We will accompany him, and watch over him."

Draco beamed at his parents then.

"My sister and I will be doing the same." Ariadne said as she and Vivianna rose to stand by Blaise.

Molly was looking helplessly from them to the Grangers who were speaking in whispers. Finally the Grangers turned to James.

"Seeing as Hermione is being stubborn about this, which means she won't give up until she has been of some use, we're going to ask you to watch over her." Mr. Granger said.

James gave him a short bow.

"Arthur! We can't let Ron go into Merlin knows where!" Molly argued. Arthur sighed heavily, then rose from his seat.

"I'll go with him then." Arthur said and Molly seemed to deflate as Ron grinned at his father. "Look at him Molly. He's not going to rest easy unless he can help in some way."

"I-I suppose." Molly said, sinking into her seat. Lily stood then, walking over to sit next to the nervous witch.

"We will wait together." Lily promised her, taking her hand. Molly nodded, then flinched when she met Lily's unseeing gaze and spoke. "Yes, that sounds best for me."

"Excellent. So now that that's out of the way!" James said as he drew some pieces of parchment from his robes, spreading them out on Dumbledore's desk and waving the group of rescuers over.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it." Fudge's voice startled them all. They'd figured he'd fainted or left the room or something. "None of you will be rushing into the unknown. We'll get trained Aurors of course!"

James sighed and waved his hand at Fudge, turning back to the parchments as a small breeze seemed to pass over the Minister. The man stiffened then passed out unconsious on the floor. "Okay, as I was about to say-"

"James, did you just make the Minister fall unconscious?" Lily asked from her seat. James chuckled and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Now then, here are the plans of their headquarters and main facility. Four floors, heavy security on the last two, mediocre security and wards on the first two. From what I remember of my time there, the kids will be on the third floor, in this room right here. They call it the Holding Tank. The third floor is completely devoted to the testing of Anna-Lee's children." James scowled a second. "So we just have to figure out a way to get up the the third floor without rousing too much suspicion. Once there, well we can wreak as much havoc as we like."

"But how do we do so?" Severus asked and James looked up at him with a smirk.

"We'll you once told me I was picking brawn over brains so how about you figure it out." Severus sneered at James before looking down at the plans.

"What sort of protection do they have?"

"Guards, enchantments, coded doors, and a range of sensory charms."

"We will need to work as fast as possible." Remus said, with a quick glance at the clock. Eight hours since Harry, Ciel and Artemis had been taken. Eight very long hours. Just when he'd gotten to know his daughter, she'd been snatched away from him. He tightened his hand into a fist. "How many of those protections can we dismantle without raising alarm?"

James thought about it for a second. "That would depend where we started breaking them." And he began pointing out several weak spots he had discovered in his time with the Order as the minutes continued to tick on.

* * *

Harry was anxious. It had been a while since they'd had the werewolf bite Artemis and since the confrontation with Anna-Lee. They'd been fed but Artemis and Ciel had stopped him before he had eaten anything, breaking his food apart in front of his eyes and showing him the crushed remains of something the Order members had sprinkled into the food.

"When you get really hungry, you can't help but eat." Ciel had told him in a quiet voice as they huddled in a corner. "Not eating all the time lessens the effects of whatever they're trying to give us though. If you make it look like you had a bite or two before you discovered the stuff though, they don't force you to eat." And it had worked just as Ciel had said. Someone in a lab coat had entered a while later to retrieve the plates and grinned at the scowls the three children sent his way. "You just have to learn to fake it. They think we're stupid, so we can outwit most of them." Ciel had whispered to him.

Harry shuddered at the matter-of-fact tone she'd used while telling him about that. He rememebered that now that she was herself again, not just a puppet, she would remember her time in this awful facility.

"What do you think they'll do to us?" Harry asked now, wanting to break the silence. The question had been burning in his gut, roiling and disturbing his concentration on their surroundings.

Ciel shrugged. Artemis however, spoke up. "They'll proably start working on me and Ciel soon." Artemis told him from where he was squeezed between them. "And they'll probably use you to test whatever it is they were working on before Fredrich saved me."

Harry grimaced as horrible, gut-wrenching screams suddenly filled the room from somewhere beyond their cell. Ciel covered Artemis's ears and hid her face in Harry's shoulder. Harry put an arm around both of them and tried his best to think of other things.

The door opened then and three people entered this time, chuckling when they saw the children huddled in a corner. "Up you get now." One of them said. Harry was about to argue when he felt his body lock together and saw Ciel and Artemis doing the same. They'd been put in a full Body-Bind. With a flick of their wands the Order members made them float and carried them through halls, and into a large area where several tables like the ones in doctors offices were waiting. They were each placed in one and secured with magical bounds. Then they were released from their body binds.

"Welcome to Lab Six." Anna-Lee said with a chuckle as she stepped into the room. "I'm sure Artemis and Ciel remember this place fondly."

"Let me out of this bind and I'll show you how fondly I remember it." Ciel promised, struggling against her holdings. Anna-Lee scoffed.

"You always were so troublesome Ciel." Anna-Lee replied before waving in a few other assistants. "Before we get started with anything big, we need to cool those awful tempers and personalities." Anna-Lee leered as the assistants walked over to their tablesides, each holding a long sharp knife in their hand. Ciel struggled harder. She knew what was coming now.

"I'll have three pretty new dolls to play with once I'm done. This time I won't grow complacent. I'll take the potion regularly. I think of phrases so complex none will ever discover them. You will be my masterpieces." Anna-Lee sighed happily. "And then I'll use you to find a way to make me immortal. But before that I'll need to help a dear friend of mine."

Harry gasped as his scar began to burn and he groaned, recognizing the feeling.

A new man stepped into the room, walking backwards. Harry scowled as he saw the back of the man's head was a familiar face he despised with all his heart.

"Ah, Harry Potter." The face hissed in sickening delight.

"Voldemort." Harry hissed back angrily. Ciel let out a sharp gasp, her eyes moving to the man's. Anna-Lee moved to his side, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, looking up into Voldemort's face with a sort of lovesick look. Ciel felt queasy. "What're you doing here?" Harry asked, thrashing harder against his bindings.

Voldemort chuckled and walked forward a few steps. "My dear Anna-Lee discovered my hiding place. She promised me she had the ability to give me a body once more. A body of such strength and power that even I would be pleased with. An immortal body, free of the maladies and faults of mortals." Voldemort turned away from Harry, glanced at Ciel then let his eyes hit on Artemis. "I see it is coming along well?"

"Oh yes. It has been responding well. Not six hours ago we had a feral werewolf bite it. On the shoulder. Look at how well it has healed. And a test of its blood will show it has not contracted lycanthropy." Anna-Lee boasted. Ciel felt her eyes widen as she turned her head to stare at little Artemis who was whimpering as Voldemort advanced on him.

"Will it stay this small for long?" Voldemort asked, sniffing disdainfully at Artemis's small body.

"Of course not My Lord. We have begun feeding it growth accelerants, which will soon have the body aging twice a month until it reaches peak maturity. Once it has, we will use the old ritual you discovered to have your spirit residing within." Anna-Lee promised. The horrible truth dawned on Harry and Ciel as they watched Voldemort study Artemis with a horribly hungry look in his eyes.

Artemis had been raised into a new body for the Dark Lord.

"I must thank you." Voldemort said suddenly, turning to Ciel. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw that Anna-Lee was pouting. "If not for your DNA, this new body would not have been created for me."

Ciel snarled, fighting viciously against her bindings. "You won't be hurting my little brother!" Ciel snapped at him.

Anna-Lee and the assistants began laughing then. "Little brother?" Anna-Lee asked, walking to stand between Ciel and Harry, grasping the girl's chin in a tight hold, her nails digging into her skin a little. "Is that what you were told that boy was?"

"Yes. And even if he's not, I still won't let you destroy him!" Ciel promised in spite of her mother's tightening hold.

The woman smirked cruelly. "You're a fool. He is not your brother in any sense. In all honesty, he is more like your son."

"What?" Harry gasped as Ciel gaped at her mother.

"Yes. You see, we had learned enough about Ciel's genetic mutations to being trials in developing them in other beings. We used harvested all the genetic material we would need from her and then set to work, manipulating it to try and create a child with her specific mutations. We failed dozens of times, until this one was born." Anna-Lee jerked her head at Artemis. "Unlike the other failures, he had Ciel's exact mutations, and thus had her same defenses against all those mundane, mortal downfalls." Anna-Lee snorted softly as Ciel fought against her mother grasp. "You are very nearly perfect you little fool. Once I put you back under my rule you will be the perfect doll once more."

"And once I have been delivered into my body," Voldemort said now, turning to Harry with a grin, "I will finish you and take my place as the rightful king of the wizarding world."

Harry and Ciel stared in horror and rage as the two began laughing, moving away so that the assistants with the knives replaced them at their bedsides.

"Let us begin!" Anna-Lee called and pulled a piece of parchment from her robe pocket. She began chanting in soft, swift Latin, her tongue familiar with the words. The children felt it beginning to work nearly immediately, as they stilled and felt their eyes flutter to half-mast. They were starting to fall into a trance, and all their emotions were draining from their bodies, leaving them wondering why they were so tense and angry. Slowly those thoughts faded too. As Anna-Lee continued to chant, they felt like something fluid was falling out of their ears.

_No! _Ciel jerked as she heard the shout in her head. Where was that voice coming from? Her eyes fell all the way shut and she heard it again. _No! Wake up!_

Opening her eyes Ciel blinked as she saw a shimmering, ghostly figure standing by her side. A girl with long black hair and black eyes, a girl who resembled a living doll... _Arcadia..._

_Yes, that's right. Remember me darn you! Remember! Don't let Mother do this again! _Arcadia shouted at her, shaking her with ghostly hands. Ciel's body gave another small twitch. _Fight it! Do you want to be a puppet? Do you want to have Harry and Arty turn into puppets? Remember me! Remember who you used to be! Pull yourself together! _

With great effort Ciel focused solely on the vision of Arcadia, focusing on her glassy black eyes. Those lifeless eyes. That tired body. The pain. The sadness. The emptiness.

_That's it! Come on! You didn't get this far just to lose everything again! Think about Severus and Remus!_

_Remus. Severus. Who are they again?_

_Think!_

Ciel was growing annoyed with Arcadia's promptings but forced herself to focus more on the girl, on her scarred hands-

_Mother gave me those scars._

_That's right! Mother did this to us. And lots more. Come on, pull it back! Pull it back for Harry and Artemis!_

Feeling like she was trying to save herself from drowning in concrete, Ciel focused on Harry and Artemis. Who were they?

Her head fell to the side and she spotted Harry, twitching and shaking as the ritual began to ready him for the knife-

The knife! The knife would seal away his memories!

With a gasp Ciel shut her eyes tight and began to pull herself together again. She wouldn't become a doll ever again! She refused to! She was going to destroy the Order! She was going to protect Arty! She was going to help Harry because he was good and kind and sweet Harry! Harry who befriended her for no reason or gain. Harry who promised to help protect Arty. Harry, who was her first real friend and one of the few people Ciel felt she could trust.

And with a smirk she felt the ritual's hold break on her as the vision of Arcadia banished into thousands of sparkles. Ciel didn't worry though. Arcadia was still a part of her. But Ciel was Ciel and Arcadia was merely another memory.

Harry felt himself floating in a darkness. There was no beginning or ending to it. He let himself sink further into it. Then, out of the blue, in Harry's mind, came a sharp shout. _Fight!_

_Fight what?_

_Fight the ritual! Fight! Don't lose your memories! _

_What...? _

Harry's head fell to the side and he found himself staring at Ciel's body. She was still and silent but through the haze of the empty darkness he saw she was smirking. Her fingers twitched but she continued to remain still.

_C'mon Harry! _Harry shut his eyes and he found himself facing a vision of his six year old self. Shocked, he stared at the much younger him. The little Harry was scowling at him, arms wrapped around his stomach.

_Harry, you have to remember! _The younger him pouted, hands coming up in fists and waving in his face. _You're gonna leave Ciel all alone? And Arty? What about Ron and Hermione? _

_Who are those people? _Harry questioned himself. His younger self huffed.

_You have to remember on your own silly. C'mon Harry! Think! Remember Aunt 'Tunia? And Dudley. Uncle Vernon! _

_Those sound...mean..._

_Yeah! Mean! C'mon Harry. You have to fight this! You can't let Voldiemort win! _

_Voldiemort?_

_Yeah! Think! Remember stuff already! _

Harry stared at his younger self and then felt a shudder run through his body. Voldiemort...Voldemort... The Dark Lord Voldemort! With an internal gasp Harry saw the snake-like face flash before his eyes and felt anger rush up, filling him with the taste of bile and disgust.

Petunia. Dudley. Vernon. Those were his relatives. They'd treated him like shit just because he was magical. Just because his parents had died and left him orphaned. Just because they didn't take the time to try and like him. He could remember the feelings of hunger when a meal was denied. The sadness of being alone. The envy he'd felt of Dudley in his younger days, and still felt every so often.

Ron and Hermione, his first and greatest friends. They'd stuck by him so much...they must be worried. Why were the worried again?

Because Ian Dawn had kidnapped him and Ciel and Artemis.

Artemis, who was being raised as a body for the spirit of the Dark Lord. Ciel was ready to defend him tooth and nail.

Ciel! Ciel...that's why he had to fight. To protect her and Artemis. To keep them safe from their maniac mother who wanted to turn them into puppets.

_That's it Harry! _His younger version cheered, wearing a brilliant smile. _Fight and fight and protect your friends! _

Harry nodded and his younger self faded away with a snap. His memories were flooding his head and he felt warmth in his heart. He opened his eyes and stared at Anna-Lee, who was growing frustrated.

"Why isn't it working?" Voldemort asked in a high, cold tone. Anna-Lee shuddered.

"I don't know. Perhaps I mispronunced a word at the beginning." She muttered. Voldemort snatched the parchment.

"Then I will-" He was about to say when a great clanging alarm was unleashed. Everyone froze then Anna-Lee hissed.

"Intruders! All of you except you three, begin level lockdown!" Anna-Lee commanded. The assistants with the knives stayed put while all the others scattered to activate the various enchantments. "It must be that imbecile must have come looking after these three." Anna-Lee scowled.

"Then we will forgo the ritual." Voldemort said. "Have Potter and my body placed in a protected place. Get rid of the girl."

"What?" Anna-Lee squawked. "Are you insane! She is necessary to continue the improvement of your immortality!"

Voldemort looked ready to strike her down when another alarm went off. "Fine! Take them all somewhere! Anywhere!"

Anna-Lee nodded. "Unbind them! That them to level four's vault!" She directed.

The assistants undid their bounds with flicks of their wands. Anna-Lee was about to speak yet again when suddenly the assistants cried out.

The knives they held were being thrust into their hands by a pair of very sentient, very pissed off teenagers. Ciel picked up the wand that landed in her lap, Harry rolling off the table to pick up the one that had clattered to the ground.

"You little-!"

Harry dashed forward with Seeker reflexes to touch the body Voldemort possessed. Like with Quirrell two years ago, this body began to crumble as well. Harry wouldn't hold on too long though, just long enough for-

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Ciel shouted and Anna-Lee fell the ground, bound together, eyes murderous. Ciel raced forward and with a savage sort of yell, stamped down on her mother's wand, breaking it in half. Harry pulled away from the screaming Voldemort and hurried over to Artemis, who was stirring feebly.

"Hurry!" Harry cried hoarsely, aiming at the third man who had been stunned stupid by the sudden turn of events. Harry put him in a full body-bind too then took Artemis from Ciel. "Find us a way out!" He cried as he looked over at the body that Voldemort had possesed. It was laying on the floor. Apparently Voldemort had decided to get out of there before they had another repeat of first year. Harry took the miracle as it was and then turned back to find Ciel destroying a keypad. The door slid open even as another alarm sounded.

Together they hurried down the corridor, hoping against hope that it led to a safe hiding place.

* * *

**_Haha yay return of the never-ending chapter! Again, sorry for the delay! Hope this makes up for it._**


	19. The Curtain Falls

**~Still Doll~ **

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**I got lots more sci-fi-ish with this fic than I had planned. But I had fun writing it! The end is near...well the end for now. There will be a sequel, which will be elaborated upon in the last chapter. So until then, please enjoy chap. 19. **

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: The Curtain Falls**

Harry didn't want to know what the stains on the floor, walls and even ceiling were. Even in the eerie green light of the room, it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened in this place. But it was a small enough room that Harry could stand guard by the door, hearing shouts and bangs and the hurried steps of Dawn members rushing through the corridor. He had to admit, Ciel had made a good point in staying in this room. The order members would think they wouldn't be able to stomach it and look for a more obvious hiding place.

"I wonder who set off the alarm." Artemis murmured as he huddled in a corner with Ciel. Harry cast the small boy a smile.

"Whoever it was, we're going to have to thank them." Harry replied. "They saved our arses."

Artemis nodded and squeezed Ciel tightly while the girl looked over at Harry. "We have to move soon. They'll start checking the unlikely places next. Whoever helped us won't hold their full attention forever."

Harry nodded, his mind racing, as it often did in these sorts of situations.

"Ciel, Arty, you both need to think." Harry said then, as gently as possible. "Is there any place where we might be able to get out?"

Artemis shrugged, looking frightened. "I don't know. I only ever lived in level three. In that room where we all were. That's where I was put when they weren't testing on me."

Ciel was staring at a stain on the floor close to her while holding Artemis close. "There is one place in the facility where we might find the answer." She murmured, her eyes lifeless and dead. Harry hated the return of the doll eyes but determined to get over them for the moment. "I went there only twice, but I remember it clearly."

"Where do we go?" Harry asked as Ciel pulled herself and Artemis up.

"Level Four." Ciel said with such fear that Harry gulped. "From where we are now, we need to get to the elevator, two halls from this one."

Harry looked at Ciel then at Artemis before nodding. "Okay. Put Arty on my back, we can move faster if I carry him."

Ciel kissed Arty's cheek then before helping him onto Harry's back. Once the boy was clinging to him tight, Harry and Ciel stepped up to the door, borrowed wands in hand. Ciel peered out, found the corridor empty then motioned for Harry to follow.

They had to hastily hide in another room at the end of the corridor, but other than that their journey to the elevator was unnoticed. The floors vibrated, and both children sensed the magic begin flung about. They hurried into the elevator, Ciel pressing the big button with a 4 on it.

"What's so bad about Level Four?" Harry asked as they moved up. Ciel shuddered.

"It's where the Order keeps their worst experiments. The very worst Harry. Poor souls so horribly mutated they were enough to scare me witless. And the smell..." Ciel sucked in a shuddering breath as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "Just follow me, and don't look at the cages." She whispered before taking his hand and leading the way through the hall.

The smell assaulted them first, making Harry's eyes water while he fought down the urge to empty his stomach in a corner. It was such a horrid smell, worse than anything Harry had ever smelled. Worse than that 'natural' fertilizer Aunt Petunia had started using on her garden. Worse than troll. The putrid scent clung thickly on the air and made Harry's head swim.

Harry felt Artemis hide his face in his neck and he himself focused on Ciel's back. Ciel stared straight ahead, only flinching when a bone-chilling wail began coming from one of the cages. Harry's first reaction was to look for the source of the sound, and he turned his head to find himself staring at a woman who was a sickly green color, her eyes red, her nails yellow and broken, and she had some wounds that were festering with maggots.

Harry dry-heaved and Ciel paused. "Don't look Artemis." She said shakily as she squeezed Harry's hand.

"I'm not." Came the boy's muffled reply. Once Harry recovered himself he kept his gaze fixed on Ciel's back again.

There came hoots and howls and cries of agony that rivaled Voldemort's during the fight for the Sorcerer's Stone.

"Most of them have been driven mad." Ciel explained over the din of the occupants as they travelled through the maze of corridors to wherever Ciel was leading them. "Once, when I was about Arty's age I guess, one of them escaped to our level." Ciel's shudder travelled through her arm and into Harry's. "A centaur. I think someone had killed him to practice necromancy." Ciel twitched violently. "He killed about five people, before they managed to capture him and drag him off again..."

Harry felt his empty stomach convulse. He didn't think he'd be as strong as Ciel if he'd seen half the horrors she must have been exposed to.

They came to an empty corridor after about a half hour of walking. Ciel let go of Harry's hand and hurried into a corner. Harry set Artemis down and the little boy shook like a leaf as he stared around the empty corridor.

Ciel wiped her mouth and held her stomach for a second before straightening. "Sorry. I forgot just how horrible the smell was." Ciel said hoarsely. Harry gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Where do we go from here?" Harry asked, breathing through his mouth as much as possible. The smell left a horrible taste in his mouth but it was much more bearable than breathing it in directly.

"Down this way, we take a left, and we'll be at the control station. Every level has a control station. I remember getting scanned through the one on level three all the time. This one though, not only works for level four but for all the levels. If there's any way to get out of here without injury, that place will tell us." Ciel managed a smile as she took on of Arty's hands in her own then grasped tightly to one of Harry's free hands. Harry held back tight, and the three children walked a few more yards until they reached a set of glass doors.

The control station looked like something out of a science fiction show. The glass doors slid open with a quiet whoosh too. Ciel led him to the very center where a semi-circle of metal held various controls, levers, buttons and monitors, most of which were conveniently labeled. There were a hell of a lot though...

Ciel looked at it for a second before turning to Artemis and Harry. "Stay close by. Just in case..." Ciel couldn't finish her sentence so she released the boys and moved up to the control panel.

Harry lifted Artemis onto a clear glass table and gave him a stern look. The boy nodded and stayed put. Harry then began looking around the room. His eyes turned to the glass doors often. They bugged him. They gave no opportunity for them to hide in case some of the order members came back.

"Is there a locking switch on there or something?" He asked Ciel after contemplating the doors. Ciel looked up from her studying of the panel.

"I haven't found one yet, but see that keypad?" Ciel pointed to the keypad hidden behind a fake plant. "There should be an override button or something on it somewhere."

Harry was about to go look for it when he paused, turning to look at Ciel. "How do you know all this Ciel?" Ciel stopped moving her hand over the buttons, her head bowed.

"I had older siblings, remember." Ciel murmured, her hand moving again. "One of my older sisters...Ivana, that was her name...she pretended to become one of them, one of these monsters. She taught me everything she could about the facility...before they found out she was smuggling new test subjects out of the holding tanks."

Harry blinked at that. Ciel hadn't spoken much about her past ever, and even after the ritual she was closed lipped about it. He wondered how many other such memories Ciel kept quiet about. There had to be some good ones in there, considering all her siblings sounded alright so far.

He pushed those thoughts away. Once they could find a way out of this horrid place, once they were safe, he'd focus on those things. He went over to the keypad like Ciel had said, and checked it all over. Harry couldn't find any sort of button that might help disable the doors. He growled in frustration.

"Crack it open." Ciel suggested when she heard Harry's growl. Harry looked at her then tapped the borrowed wand on the keypad case with a little more than the necessary force. The casing cracked in the middle and fell off. Harry gave a shout of triumph as he found a small blue button that said System Override beside it. He pressed it and suddenly the doors made a clinking sound and turned opaque then became tinted pitch-black.

"Harry," Artemis said, pointing to the other side of the room. "Look at those big boxes. Can't we put those in front of the door?"

"Good thinking Arty." Harry praised as he used Wingardium Leviosa to make the heavy metal boxes float an inch or two from the ground and land in front of the door, piling them up three high before he was statisfied.

"Oh thank god!" Ciel's cry of relief made both boys hurry to her side. Ciel smiled at each of them as she pressed a button marked Map and on a screen in front of them appeared a detailed map of level four. Ciel sagged for a second then began moving a finger along the outlines of corridors and venting systems, pipes and fuse boxes and several other things. At last she turned to them with a stricken expression.

"Is there a way out of here?" Harry asked and Ciel nodded slowly. "Well?" Harry asked.

Before Ciel could say anything though, Artemis gave a shout. He was looking at another monitor. "Ciel! Harry! Look!" He shouted, pulling them over to the monitor where they saw Remus and a tall blonde man fighting with some order members. Behind them were other unknown adults.

"Look! Sirius! Dashing!" Harry shouted, whooping for joy. Ciel felt tears of relief slip out of her eyes and down her cheeks as they watched their rescuers.

"They're losing." Ciel noted a while later, looking at another screen. "There's too many Order members. They're going to lose."

Their elation fizzled and Harry felt a pang in his stomach. Ciel leaned heavily on him for a moment before she heard Artemis sniffling. She stared at him for a long second then nodded.

"Harry, we need to get to them." Ciel murmured, picking up Artemis and holding him tight. "Once they see us, they can rescue us and they won't get hurt."

"But how do we get to wherever they are?" Harry asked. Ciel smirked then.

"The same way I was going to suggest before." Ciel muttered. "The monitor says they're on level two. So all we need to do is use this. It's a hidden elevator. Look, see here?" She said pointing at the map. Harry looked closer and saw she was pointing at a bold line that ran from the control room to the area of the cages.

"What is it?"

"A secret tunnel." Ciel pulled him along to the far wall. "It leads to an empty cage. The elevators there. We can use it to get to level two."

Harry grinned. "Ciel, your bloody brilliant!" He hugged her tight, making her laugh. Harry pulled back and saw something shimmer in her dark eyes. He felt panic flutter in his stomach at the sight of that for some reason.

"Well let's hurry!" Artemis demanded and Ciel nodded, tapping her borrowed wand on a panel on the wall. It popped open and she climbed through with Artemis. Harry followed after her.

The secret tunnel was paneled in metal sheets and was barely large enough for Harry to stand up in and wide enough for him to pass through easily but without being able to hold his arms out. Ciel had set Artemis down and they walked down the stretch of metal. Harry felt like it was going to go on forever when at last they reached a dead end and Ciel tapped her wand against it, causing it to pop open and reveal an empty cage. Harry kept his eyes averted from whatever was shouting obscenities at them across the hall. Ciel began tapping along the remaining walls and found the elevator, which opened.

"Hurry now!" She said, yanking him inside and hitting the 2 button.

The elevator ride was one of the longest in the history of Harry's life. He couldn't hear anything within the contraption. It felt like he was struck deaf.

Then at last the elevator stopped and the door sprang open.

The fighting paused at the unexpected diversion and all eyes turned to face the three children huddled together.

"Harry! Ciel! Artemis!" Dashing called and the children felt relief as the vampire rushed over to them.

Harry grabbed Artemis's hand and stepped to the edge of the elevator, ready to hand the boy over while holding his wand ready.

A hand pushed into his back, hard. He tripped, getting caught an inch from crushing Arty under him by Dashing, who was staring at the elevator in surprise.

Harry turned as well in time to see Ciel holding her wand to her throat and pressing a button. Harry felt the panic as he saw that shimmering look again in her eyes.

"Dashing, get them out." Ciel whispered. Harry didn't know how he managed it but he released Artemis, twisted and dived through the doors before they snapped shut and bore them back up.

"Harry you idiot!" Ciel shouted, as they moved shiftly upwards. Harry looked up at her, angrily as he saw a small burn mark where she'd been holding her wand on her skin.

"What the hell are you doing Ciel!" Harry shouted back, falling into Ciel when the elevator jerked to a halt and they stepped back into the empty cage.

"Harry you fool, I told you! I told you I would bring the order down! I found out how to do it while I was looking! Get your arse back in the elevator and get the hell out of here!"

Harry caught her pushing hands and pushed her backwards, towards the still open secret tunnel. "Why? Why do I have to get out?"

Ciel gulped before shaking her head. "That's not important. Go on! Get out!"

Harry shook his head and clambered back into the tunnel. Ciel gave a wordless shout before following after him.

They raced through the corridor this time, leaping out into the control center. On the monitor they saw that most of their rescuers were gone. Only Dashing, Sirius, Severus, and Remus remained, fighting valiently against the growing number of Dawn members.

"What is this thing you found?" Harry demanded as he and Ciel turned to the main control panel.

Ciel glared at him angrily before the flush of emotion left her cheeks and she flung herself at him. Harry caught her, holding her tight as she trembled.

"It's marked Kill Switch." Ciel whispered into his ear as they held each other. "Ivana told me what it does. It's a precaution. It's a system, used to wipe out the facilities where the Order works, just in case of spies or an infiltration or something like that." Ciel tightened her grasp on Harry's shirt. "It will destroy the fourth level first."

"Destroy..." Harry repeated. "Wait...Ciel..." Harry pulled back to look into her shimmering eyes. "Destroy how?"

"Like a bomb." Ciel said with her dead doll eyes. Harry felt his blood freeze as he stared at Ciel.

"You're insane." Harry whispered to her, giving her a little shake. "You were going to set it off and get yourself blown up!" Harry accused her. The scene shifted a little, for one of those odd flashback moments, and Harry heard distantly his Aunt Petunia saying, _"And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"_

Returning to the present, and recovering his boiling temper, he shook Ciel again.

"The system has a delay." Ciel told him. "Ten seconds."

"Ten..._ten _seconds! It took us at least thirty even when we ran up that tunnel! How the hell were you planning on getting out in ten seconds!" Harry asked. His gut clenched as the horrible truth came over him and he stared into Ciel's doll eyes. "You weren't planning on getting out."

Ciel shook her head. "I knew I wouldn't make it. That ten second delay is enough for people to Apparate to safety I guess, but I knew I couldn't do that. Not again." Ciel gave Harry a watery smile then. "But this is the place where it started for me Harry. And this is where it was going to end. It was just Fate and Luck that let me get to it so quickly."

Harry shook her again, because she was smiling and he didn't think her blowing herself up was something to smile over. "No! We'll think of something else! Anything else!"

"Harry, my Mother is working with Voldemort! She's probably already gotten out of the building and Apparated away to wherever that scumbag is hiding! If I don't destroy this place now, she can come back and make another Artemis out of my blood! She'll keep finding ways to use me and hurt other people!" Ciel gulped down the tears threatening to weaken her resolve.

"How do you know she hasn't already, in some other place?" Harry asked her. Ciel shook her head.

"It was only ever here Harry. This is the only real facility for the Order. Its the only main facility. All the information is right here. It will take Mother decades to try and recover everything if I blow this place up." Ciel let herself give a little sob. "Harry, you've gotten a look at how horrible this place is. If I even give them one extra minute, the Order will manage to smuggle some of the information out. They'll make another body for Voldemort. They'll find other people to hurt, make more brothers and sisters just to treat them like guinea pigs! Harry, this is my one and only shot!"

Harry stared at her and then looked over to the monitor where Dashing was holding the Order members at bay with a barrier of vampire magic. "Will they be able to get out?" He asked nodding to the vampire, his godfather, and Ciel's fathers.

"Yes. The system will contain the first blast and make sure everything is killed on this level, before warning the third level and then the second, and last the first. Course I'm sure the explosion will let them know before the spell or alarm or whatever. They'll have plenty of time to get out of the building and Apparate away." Ciel promised. "Now you have to hurry up and go Harry." Ciel sniffled as she tugged on his hands. Harry's sharp green eyes speared her through with a look of such burning rage that Ciel wondered she didn't spontaneously combust.

"I'm staying right here." Harry told her. Ciel's eyes widened.

"No! You're leaving! Harry, please go away!" Ciel pleaded and Harry gave her a sardonic smile.

"Nothing doing. If you're going to blow yourself up, then so will I." Harry tightened his hold on one of her hands. "We'll stop this together."

"No you idiot, _we _won't. You can't die yet!" Ciel argued, stamping her foot. Harry chuckled just a tad bit evilly.

"That doesn't work Ciel. If I can't die yet, then neither can you."

Ciel scowled at him, made a sound like an angry cat, then collapsed into his chest once more. Harry held her still. His body was tingling, as if to remind him he was only thirteen years old and that getting blown up probably wouldn't be that great of an experience. He pushed it aside. "So either we blow this place up together or we escape together right now." He told her.

She looked up at him, and then pulled away to slip off her leather gloves, revealing the scars that had been with her nearly half her existence. "I've made up my mind. My gut's telling me I have to do this. I have to...or else bad things will happen Harry."

"Then I guess I'm just going to stay here."

They stood there for a single long moment, both enjoying the air rushing into their lungs. Then, as if they'd agreed before hand, they clasped hands, and held the free hands over the omniously black button.

"I wasn't supposed to exist like this Harry." Ciel murmured as they watched Dashing's barrier grow long tentacles and lash out at the people attacking them. "I'm pretty sure I was never supposed to exist at all."

"Sometimes I've felt like that too." Harry replied, thinking back to his mother's voice, and his father's struggle to save him.

"I was happy this year." Ciel told him, lowering their hands to rest on the button.

"Yeah. I was too." Harry told her and made her hide her face in his chest as he pressed their fingers down and shut his eyes.

* * *

The explosion rocked the entire facility. The Order Members froze in their assault to look upwards. James also looked up when he heard the sounds of screams ceasing abruptly.

"Level Four has been terminated." A cool androgenous voice stated. "Level Three will be demolished in fifteen seconds. All personel are ordered to evacuate now, or risk termination."

"What?" Sirius asked from within the barrier as the Order members began to scramble for the corridors. "What the hell does that mean?"

James shuddered. "It means the kids set off the Kill Switch."

"Where are they then?" Severus demanded, already racing past the barrier and towards the stairs he could just make out. James caught his sleeve just as another blast rocked the foundation of the building.

"We have to get out." James said and before Severus could protest, James was tossing him through a window, grabbing his arm and twisting in midair. Remus and Sirius followed suit, Apparating as they fell to the safe point they'd set up outside the Order's perimeter.

"What the hell is going on!" Ron shouted over the din of the explosions rocking through the third floor. "Where're Ciel and Harry!"

James felt his face drain of color. "Aren't they here!"

"No!" Hermione squeaked as she held onto a fighting Artemis. "Arty you have to stay still!"

James felt his heart racing as he turned back to the facility in time to witness the third blast.

"Maybe they got out and went to the other side of the building!" Arthur suggested as he watched the explosions die down for a few seconds.

"They're not. I would sense them. This bond..." James said, hand turning into a fist. "I can't sense them."

Everything became still. Then the world was rocked by a fourth and final explosion. They watched as the building burned and destroyed itself.

Severus felt his knees hit the ground. If that stupid vampire couldn't sense Ciel through the vampire oath...then...then...

* * *

Harry wondered why he wasn't in pain. He figured getting blown up would hurt. He frowned and then slowly dared to open his eyes.

He gasped when he saw that something had come around them, blocking out the fire he could smell and the heat he could feel through the thick whatever it was that was keeping them safe.

"Ciel?" Harry asked, looking down to find the girl was still. For a second he feared the worse until she gave a weak moan and stirred a little.

"Cassius, Fredrich, Ivana, Suzette, Elizabeth, Marcus, Timothy, Katherine, Heather, Loki, Nemo, Artemis and Ciel." A voice said. Harry jumped, looking around to find the owner. He saw a young man, about twenty or so, looking down at him and Ciel.

"What about them?" Harry asked. He suddenly decided he and Ciel were dying and this was one of those near-death experiences.

"All children, born of Anna-Lee Dawn, one of the cruelest minds to have ever been concieved." The man said with a shake of his head. "What a terrible fate for any being to behold. The horrors of this place will leave a scar on the memory of this world."

Harry looked down at Ciel who groaned and twitched her hand, which was still amazingly in his own. He squeezed it and she settled. She shouldn't be fretting around when she was dying, he thought.

"Why're you here?" Harry asked the man who knelt beside them now.

"Fate has many tasks left for you Harry Potter." The man said as he brushed Harry's bangs aside to see his curse scar. "You cannot die until those have been fulfilled."

Harry felt panic set in once more. "What about Ciel?" He asked and pulled the girl closer.

The man touched her head then and Ciel smiled a little. "This little one has a few things left to finish as well. She has won a great battle...but in order to stop Anna-Lee, Ciel must live."

"So we are dying." Harry stated. The man chuckled, shaking his head.

"You were dying. You are healing right as we speak though." The man pointed to a gash in Harry's arm that mended itself as he looked at it.

"How?" Harry asked and the man smiled as a flock of scarlet and gold birds landed around them. In in particular was familiar to the young wizard.

"Fawkes!" Harry gasped, reaching out to stroke the bird's head. Fawkes let out a single quivering note that bolstered Harry's cheer. Ciel's eyes snapped open then and she gasped as she saw all the crimson and gold, sitting up and staring as three of the birds leaned over and wept on her broken leg.

"Phoenixes?" Ciel asked, turning to find the man. "Who're you? What's going on? Harry?"

Harry looked down and smiled. "Phoenix tears have healing properties, remember? They're healing us. We didn't die. This guy saved us...er I think."

The man chuckled. "I did nothing of the sort. The phoenixes came of their own accord. I am merely here to lead you back."

"Back?" The teenagers asked. The man pointed down and they looked down to see their bodies laying on a smoldering pile of twisted metal, being cried upon by the dozen or so phoenixes. As their bodies opened their eyes, they felt a sharp tug.

They lurched forward and awoke on the oddly cool metal. The phoenixes all let out several notes of song that had Ciel and Harry feeling wonderfully light.

They disappeared in bursts of flames then, their work finished. Fawkes remained with them until they all heard a large crack and turned to find Dashing, Remus, Severus and Sirius in the crumbling, burning ruin of the control station.

"You're alive!" Sirius burst out, jumping out of the way as some debris fell. "But not for long if we stay here." He added, hurrying forward with Dashing to help Harry and Ciel to their feet. Ciel hugged Sirius, smiled at Dashing then ran forward, embracing her fathers as tight as she could. Severus and Remus held her tight, fingers digging in and leaving bruises.

"Let's get out of this place." Dashing said and he let Sirius take Harry and Apparate away with him. Ciel smiled as she was suddenly scooped into Severus's arms and they spun away as well, leaving behind that horrible bit of wizard-made hell.

* * *

Pomfrey declared them in surprisingly good shape and then restricted them to the hopsital wing for at least three days.

Considering all the worried eyes focused on them, they agreed without much fuss. Also, there was just something exhausting about nearly dying.

"You get used to it." Harry teased when Ciel groaned as she adjusted herself into a comfortable position.

"I should hope not!" Molly Weasley shouted then and Harry winced but gave his friend a grin. Ciel smiled in return.

"I guess I must." She murmured softly, staring up at the ceiling.

"Harry dear," Molly was saying now, in a tone Ciel had heard one of her sisters use before delivering shocking news. Which one had it been? _Oh right, Katherine._

"Yes Mrs. Weasley?" Harry prompted when the woman fell silent. "Did something happen to Ron?" He asked and Mrs. Weasley shook her head.

"No dear, nothing like that. It's nothing bad either, simply...well...I don't quiet know how to say this..." Molly turned from Harry to look over at Dashing. "Perhaps showing him would be best."

Harry and Ciel looked at Dashing who was grinning for some reason. He moved slowly to Harry's bedside, Molly moving away to join the other adults watching them. A cloaked person joined Dashing then and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well young Harry...I'm afraid I haven't been honest with you." Dashing said. "With either of you." He added with a look to Ciel. "Part of it was grief over what happened to me and my wife, part of it was the anger at my own stupidity, and the rest of it was shame." Dashing shook his head, his long white hair falling in between him and Harry.

"What did you do now you annoying vampire?" Harry asked with a wrinkle of his nose, even as his lips twitched into a half-smile.

The person next to Dashing laughed and moved a hand up to the hood hiding their face. "Well you already know what I did. I went to the order, trying to find a way to protect my family from Voldemort." Dashing waited for Harry's nod, knowing Ciel would have told him about it as soon as she could. "Well, I omitted some important facts. Such as who I really am, who my wife is, who our son is."

Harry frowned as he looked from the two people standing beside him, then turned to Ciel. Ciel shrugged, looking back at Dashing and gasping as his hair began to darken and shorten.

The teens watched as the hair grew into a messy mass of jet-black locks. The face shifted, remembling a more familiar one. Harry stared at Dashing pulled some glasses from his pocket and perched them on his nose.

Harry stared for a long time, and all was hushed and silent as the two devoured each other with their eyes. At last, as if in a dream, Harry sat up and touched Dashing's cheek.

"Dad?" Harry asked in a whisper, afraid that saying it louder would make it unreal.

James Potter grinned widely as he took his sons hand and yanked him up into a bone-crushing hug. Harry hugged back, blinking furiously and biting back a sob.

"And that's not all." James said as he turned to look up at his companion. Harry turned to look too, knowing who he hoped was under there, but also dreading it was a lie.

Lily Potter lowered her head and discarded her cloak altogether. She took James's place. Harry looked up at her, drinking her in greedily and then spotting her blind eyes. A whimper left him before Lily had enfolded him in her arms.

"I may not be able to see you my lovely boy, but I can sense you, and hear you, and you can see me, which is enough."

"Mum." Harry choked out and this time the tears wouldn't be pushed back. He clung to the redhead, to his mother, with all the might he possessed.

Ciel watched the reunion with wonder and happiness for her friend. After all he'd done, Harry deserved some happiness. Turning she caught sight of Sirius, Remus and Severus, all watching the family with various expressions on their faces. She shut her eyes and felt her own eyes sting with tears.

A hand on her forehead and one wrapping around her hand had them snapping open. Severus removed his hand to kiss her forehead. Remus squeezed her hand with a fierce, paternal possessive look on his face.

Ciel wondered how all this happiness could be all around her and not crushing her. She could barely breathe as she threw her arms around her fathers and held onto them for dear life.

* * *

_**I got a wee bit choked up in some parts. But since I'm a sentimental dork, that might not mean anything. So I hope you enjoyed! **_


	20. Epilogue

****

~Still Doll~

**Everything belonging to the HP universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own the plot and the OCs. **

**Hello lovelies! Yes, the final chapter, the epilogue! I was going to try and stretch it out some but after that last chapter I realized that would be silly of me. Everything just needed to be wrapped up nicely and then set up for the sequel. It might take me a while to get to the sequel, since I'm going to try and finish my other stories; **_The Heartlock _**and **_Good Luck Has Its Storms first_**. Or at least get them close to finished before starting something else. Not to mention **_Waga Routashi Aku no Hana_**. Yeah... lots to work on still. Don't worry though, I'm not going to leave you all on a horribly large cliff ^^ it is an epilogue after all. **

**Anyway, the sequel shall be called: ***Tournament Doll*** Can't say when exactly to expect it, since I'm still not sure how long Good Luck and Heartlock are going to take. You know how I am about schedules! ^^. But it will be coming, so please don't feed me to the sharks! **

**Well I've rambled long enough, let's get this baby finished yeah? **

* * *

**Epilogue: **

Ciel awoke to find herself in her bed. She blinked a few times, rubbing at her eyes and then frowning at the odd texture of her scar against her skin.

A knock at the door had Ciel whining very softly. "Come in." She called when the person knocked again.

The door opened and Lily swept into the room, holding a box and wearing a big smile. Ciel couldn't help but smile as well. Whenever Lily Potter smiled like that, she always reminded Ciel of Harry.

"Good morning Ciel. How did you sleep?"

"Horribly. I kept dreaming I would get swallowed up by a flobberworm for some reason."

Lily laughed and set the box down on the end of her bed, then moved and opened the curtains which had kept the June sun at bay. Ciel groaned and rolled over in her bed once more. Lily chuckled. "Come now Ciel. It won't do good to miss your first exam today."

"Exams are horrid torture." Ciel mumbled, getting up anyway as the blind woman poked at the lump under the blankets. Artemis sighed and popped his head out from under the blankets.

"Exams are important, which means that today you'll have to just keep me and James and Sirius company." Lily said to the little boy who pouted.

"But I'll be really quiet and not bother anyone and-"

"Ah ah!" Lily tapped his nose. "You're staying with us today. You don't want Ciel and Harry doing badly do you?"

Artemis huffed. "No." He looked over at his sister. "But I would be quiet..."

Lily laughed and pet his head. "I know that, really, but this is just my own precaution okay?" Artemis nodded, getting out of bed as well. "I had a new outfit made for you Ciel." Lily called as Ciel headed into the bathroom to get washed up.

It had been three months since their kidnapping, near-death experience, and rescue. Three months since Dashing revealed he was actually James Potter, and that Lily Potter lived yet as well. And a lot had changed in those three months.

Sirius had been pardoned formally in May. The Daily Prophet got an exclusive interview, in which James and Lily revealed they lived as well and backed up Sirius's accounts of what happened that day about the supposed death of the Potters. Instead of diminishing Harry's fame, this only seemed to strengthen it and they'd been mobbed during a family outing in Hogsmeade. Harry had been mightily pissed off.

After recovering in the hospital wing for a week, they'd returned to classes, and gone about their daily business. But now dinner times would be spent in their private quarters, with Lily, Harry and Ciel cooking. There had been a lot of tension at first. So many things to talk about that would often end in awkward silences before one of the children asked another question. It would take time of course, to build up these connections that the teens ought to have had since birth.

But things were getting easier every day. After a month Harry had finally started believing his parents were truly with him, and wouldn't disappear into the wind. Whenever Harry wasn't in classes or studying with his friends in the library, he was sitting with his parents, or walking, or showing off on his Firebolt, or telling them in a soft, hushed voice about his time at the Dursleys.

Ciel too was learning to speak of her past. A little at a time, with gentle coaxing from her fathers, she would speak of the things she'd kept secret and close to her heart for many years. Slowly she began to believe in her fathers, even more than before she'd been kidnapped. Perhaps seeing them willing to fight for her had helped. Ciel would never forget that for as long as she lived.

She found she could speak now, speak of the bad times, the terrible times, and still manage to find good memories of her siblings mixed within the horrors of the days in the Dawn Facility.

It was hard but she was making progress.

"Ciel! Hurry up! We're already going to be late!" Harry's voice came through her bedroom door as Ciel finished tying her hair into pigtails and smoothed out the skirt of her newest dress, over which she threw on her school robes of course. She opened the door just as Harry was about to bang once more. "About time! C'mon!" Harry said as he half dragged her to the door, barely pausing to let her gather her school bag.

"See you later Auntie Lily!" Ciel called as Harry shouted over his shoulder, "Wish us luck Mum!"

Harry and Ciel made a mad dash for the classroom, getting in just in the nick of time. McGonagall gave them both unamused looks as they took their seats.

That was another thing that had become different. Harry and Ciel were hardly seen without the other these days. Usually when not with their friends or family, the two teens could be found sitting somewhere, just sitting and relaxing and always holding hands. This of course led to some very funny rumors...

But there are just some things you can't experience without becoming closer. Helping to destroy an evil organization of sadistic wizards was one of those. Near-death experiences were another. That, and Harry and Ciel just liked each other's company very much.

* * *

"Ugh." Ciel groaned as she flopped onto her pile of pillows. Daphne and Hermione joined her while the boys collapsed on the floor next to them.

"Rough day?" Lily asked with a smile as she brought out a tray of cakes and cookies.

"Horrid. I'm pretty sure I mislabled the last five constellations, just out of sheer exhaustion." Daphne replied while the others just grunted or groaned more.

"Bah...Potions is what killed me." Harry muttered, his words muffled by the fact that he had his face in the carpet. "I'm pants at Potions."

Lily laughed. "It's simply because you were nervous. Just watch. A summer with me and you'll be a master potioneer in no time."

"Even you cannot create miracles, Lily." Severus said then making the students groan and moan more. He cocked on eyebrow at them all then picked up his tea from where Lily had set it on the table by his favorite chair.

"What's that supposed to mean?" James asked, growling a little as he entered the room with Artemis. Even with the complete truth out, James was still using his findings from Ciel and Artemis to find a cure for Lily's blindness.

"James, Severus." Remus warned then in his calm tone while he scribbled something into his grade book. "Not in front of the children."

"Yeah you two, save it for the honeymoon." Sirius added with a bark of laughter as he stretched out on the couch. Several snorts and chokes were heard from the corner where the children had collapsed.

"Black, I will skin you alive." Severus warned and Ciel giggled tiredly. Severus hadn't liked having Sirius and James suddenly moving into the private suite of rooms, but really he had little say in it. With them came Lily, so Severus bore it, even when Harry asked to move in as well to have more time with his parents.

"Sirius, don't tease my Papa." Ciel murmured sleepily as she folded her arms and laid her head down. The mumbles and quiet laughter of the adults stopped and all eyes turned to the semi-asleep girl.

"What's that doll eyes?" Sirius asked his little friend as she let out a yawn.

"Leave my Papa alone." Ciel repeated. "Or else I'll get Dad to punish you." She added and the room was further stunned.

Severus and Remus exchanged looks before both broke out into smiles of joy, Severus's more subdued. Still, that was the first time Ciel had ever called them by that rather than by name.

Really a lot had changed.

* * *

"It is not over." Vivianna Zabini said quietly as she and Ciel sat out on the balcony and sipped tea. Vivianna had shown up rather unexpectedly after their final exam in Divination and swept Ciel away to the Three Broomsticks for a chat.

Ciel nodded. "I knew it wouldn't be." Ciel replied as she grabbed a cookie from the tray in front of her. "Mother is with Voldemort, isn't she?"

"I'm afraid that is correct." Vivianna murmured. "Greater and more terrible than before..."

"Trelawney said that to Harry today." Ciel told her then. When she caught Vivianna's surprised expression, she elaborated. "He told me to watch out because Trelawney had acted off. When I asked what he meant by off, he said that she'd spoke all funny and told him something about Voldemort coming back."

"It must be dire if that old hack has recieved a vision as well." Vivianna murmured to herself. Ciel grinned. "Whether coming from a less gifted Seer or from the greatest of us, the message is still clear. War is coming, and approaching swiftly. We may have very little time to prepare ourselves." Vivianna turned to Ciel then. "You will have to face your mother, and whatever she will have managed to create between now and your next confrontation."

Ciel nodded solemnly. "I'm ready. Whatever happens, whatever I have to do, I'm ready."

"Are you certain?" Vivianna asked the teenager who turned lifeless doll eyes onto the older witch and smirked.

"I was willing to die three months ago. What makes you think I'm not willing to do so again?"

The elder witch watched Ciel as the girl sipped her tea and ate another cookie. She couldn't see how such a heavy burden had chosen Ciel or Harry, but it had and that's what mattered. All the Seer could do was guide these two children and ensure the future did not turn into a dark and horrible nightmare.

The path was set. The ending was entirely up to them.

* * *

"Boy, get the door!" Vernon roared as the doorbell rang for the fifth time. Harry was quietly chuckling to himself as he made a great show of slowly rising from his seat in the dining room to get the door. He opened it and then beamed as he was attached.

"Harry!" Ciel cheered, making Petunia, Vernon and Dudley jump up from their seats at the table to come see. "Are you ready Harry?" Ciel asked as she let him go.

"What the bloody devil is one of your lot doing here?" Vernon shouted. Ciel turned to Vernon and rolled her eyes, pulling Harry beside her as more people came in through the door.

"Now now Vernon, keep it down. The neighbors'll hear you." James said cheekily as he, Severus, Remus, Sirius and Lily entered the Dursleys home. At the sight of the redhead Petunia let out a shriek and nearly fainted.

"James?" Lily asked, holding onto her husband's hand. "Where's Tuney?"

At this question Petunia looked back into the face of the woman and saw that the once vibrant green eyes were filmy. Swallowing her terror, Petuni slowly strode forward. James gently led his wife to meet her halway. Lily held out her hands and Petunia let out a small whimper as the warm hands clasped her own.

"There you are Tuney." Lily said with a chuckle. Petunia gave a shudder but continued to look at Lily Potter's face in a mix of horror and awe.

Harry had to admit that he'd never felt as much sympathy for his aunt as he did in that moment.

"Lily...you're...alive?" Petunia asked.

"Yes I am. But I wasn't well for a very long time Tuney." Lily replied lightly. She squeezed her sister's hands then, and her filmy gaze narrowed. "And while I'm grateful you kept Harry alive till now, that's the only thing I can be grateful for." Her sharp tone had Petunia quivering as Lily released her hands and the blonde woman sank bonelessly into her husband's arms. Lily let her anger and sorrow color her tone as she spoke to her older sister. "I know Harry hasn't told me and James everything. I doubt he ever will. He's a good boy like that you know. Well, you don't know or else you wouldn't have treated him like muck just because he inherited magic from me and James."

Lily shook her head and reached out a hand behind her. Harry took it and let himself be pulled in front of his mother, to face his Aunt. "And the only reason I'm not turning your house into a pond for ducks is because Harry asked me to be lenient. Yes Harry, the boy you treated so badly out of what? Jealousy directed at me?" Lily scowled and held Harry tight. "I'm happy to hear that you've had your own sort of happiness Tuney. Really...but you let your dislike of what I am overrule your natural maternal instinct when it came to my son. My only son."

Petunia whimpered as Lily leaned down to kiss Harry's head. "Tonight is the last time you'll ever see any of us Petunia. Maybe someday I can put this in the past. But it will be someday far into the future."

"We've got his things Lily." James said then, walking forward to sneer at all the Dursleys. "Come on, let's get going home."

Lily nodded and pulled Harry away. At the threshold though Harry held himself back and looked at his aunt, uncle and cousin. His eyes flickered around the hall then landed on the cupboard. "I never hated you, you know. I just always wondered why you hated me so much." Harry told his relatives.

"They are fools Potter." Severus's voice startled Harry into looking away from his aunt and up into his professor's face. "Close-minded, petty fools." Severus tugged on his sleeve. "Do not bother waiting for some sort of reply from them. They will never give you one."

Looking up at the man's expression, Harry finally understood what Ciel had meant when she'd told him her Papa knew how it felt to be unwanted. He nodded and turned away, not looking back and hurrying to embrace his mother.

"Come on then, let's get home." James said, ushering them into a dark alley. The cane he'd spelled into a Portkey was held out and grasped and they disappeared from Surrey, never to return again. They appeared in the home James had brought them too during Christmas and Harry returned to clinging to his mother.

"Welcome home love." Lily murmured into his hair. Harry smiled and pulled back to kiss his mother's cheek.

"Come on then Harry!" Ciel chirped as she held out her hand to Harry. "Let's get your stuff set up in your room. It's right across from mine and next to Arty's! We both got balconies too Harry!"

Harry gave his mother another hug then Lily gently pushed him in Ciel's direction. Taking Ciel's hand, Harry couldn't help but smile. They both had loving family now, and a new home to call their own.

They were ready to let their pasts become nothing more but musty memories.

After all, they had bigger fish to fry in the future.

* * *

**A short and sweet wrap-up hmm? A million, billion thank you's for all the reviews, the readers, the various adds to favorites lists, and etc. You've all been swell and I'm happy people liked it enough to stick with me on it. Arigato y Muchas Gracias!**


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